Forgotten
by Angel of Neptune
Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing:

Word Count:

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter One**

Twice a year, Sailor Pluto ventured to the Moon Kingdom from her position at the Gates of Time, but she never went far from the palace and never stayed too long either. The ageless sailor senshin always made a beeline to the Chamber of Fallen Angels, a Chamber that had only been used once and how she desperately wished that count would have remained at zero; twice a year she bitterly wished of it, but it was an empty wish. She was the Guardian of Time, she was suppose to protect time, not alter it. Entering the all too familiar Chamber, Pluto left her time staff leaning up against the wall and proceeded heading down the aisle between rows of pews in the white room. Her garment colored eyes were staring, transfixed, on the crystal clear coffin propped up ahead of her upon the plain alter. A small frown played her lips as she took a seat on the very edge of the first row. Half a century ago today, the woman within the light purple liquid filled coffin had been driven to insanity. It was hard to keep her eyes on the young woman in her dark senshin uniform with her long, raven black hair.

Pluto lowered her head, slumping her shoulders. She rested her forehead against her open palm, elbow resting on her tight. The woman's dark red colored eyes, so cold, yet so comforting at the same time, still burned clearly in her mind. She remembered that day fifty years ago as if it were yesterday. Not to mention, visions of the past often replayed themselves during her watch of the Gates – the memory was etched into her mind and she spent countless of hours trying to figure out how everything had turned to be so wrong, so horrible. There must have been something Pluto could have done to make things different. There had to have been. She didn't want to believe she let Tanaka down.

_"The gardens are very lovely this time of year, aren't they, Pluto?" Queen Serenity had asked with a faint smile as she walked between the rows of the many patches of flowers, her senshin following right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder towards Pluto. "It is great to see you away from the Gates, even if for a short period of time."_

_"With only visions of the past, present and future to accompany me, I do need the time to actually socialize with others, my Queen," Pluto replied, coming to a stop when Serenity had turned around to face her. For a split second, Pluto could have swore she had said something offensive – she reminded herself she had taken the position of the Guardian of Time herself, that she knew what she was getting into and she shouldn't be sounding ungrateful now, but Queen Serenity only continued to smile, erasing all doubts from her mind._

_"Speaking of the Gates," Serenity __began, walking over to the nearest__ bench. She took a seat and signaled Pluto to do the same. Pluto sat on the opposite side of her Queen, as instructed. "I have come to the conclusion that you are in need of a partner, a friend to keep you company, if you will."_

_A partner? The idea of having someone with her protecting the Gates intrigued her, that was for certain, but who did the Queen have in mind? All of the other senshin had their duties to keep to. The Inner-Senshin had to protect the Queen along with the Kingdom and the Outer-Senshin, herself included, had to defeat the universe from the presence of evil from foreign planets. "My Queen, thought I am grateful for the idea, but all the others are busy. I don't want them juggling their mission and watching the Gates."_

_"And neither do I, Puu," Serenity agreed, shaking her head. "Do you remember what occurred nearly fifteen years ago among the outer parts of our solar system?"_

_Pluto nodded in response. "Yes, the people of Planet X retaliated among each other, causing a Civil War," she answered. "And when we finally got wind about it, it had been too late. Civilization on that planet as we knew it had destroyed itself."_

_"Do you remember the sole survivor of that planet?" Serenity asked._

_"Yes, the infant child, Princess Tanaka," Pluto stated. "I was the one who took the child from the planet. My Queen, I'm afraid that had I not been watching the Gates, we could have saved Planet X__."_

_"This is no time for regrets, Pluto," Serenity reminded. "I asked you to do your duty at the Gates." The planets Pluto and X, now an empty wasteland, closely orbited next to each other. They had concluded X had once been a part of Pluto, but due to a natural disaster of some sort, the two had split. There was also the theory that X had been one of Pluto's moons. What they were sure about was the origins of Planet X were shrouded with mystery. "Princess Tanaka began her senshin training a year ago and when she reaches the age of eighteen in two years, I shall assign her to the Gates of Time, it is her destiny after all – X being the sister planet of Pluto."_

_The planets may have been close, but that couldn't be said about the two women. Pluto hadn't seen Tanaka since she was an infant and the thought of her becoming a senshin hadn't crossed her mind at all. "Have you told her that is her destiny? Have you told her she's destined to watch the past, present, and future? My Queen, with all due respect, I don't want her going into this blind. I want her to know what she's getting into."_

_"She will be well aware of the requirements for the position, Pluto," Serenity replied._

Pluto forced herself to look back up at the crystal coffin. No, she hadn't been well aware of the requirements. Sailor X could not handle viewing visions of the past, the present, and the future. They caused the young woman nightmares, drove her to insanity. Pluto had tried her damn best to help X, gave her time away from the Gates to clear her head, what she needed. The girl had become a close friend, a sister almost – like their planets. Pluto's attempts to help X had ultimately all failed in the end. It wasn't enough to save her. She shouldn't have left X alone for a second, not in her condition, what had she been thinking?

If anything, Pluto should have taken X with her. X was part of the Outer-Senshin as well and Pluto was going to a meeting to discuss the recent new presences of evil among Neptune, Uranus and Saturn, but X stayed behind to watch over the Gates, she had volunteered to stay behind to watch the Gates. Pluto should had automatically assumed that as not normal behavior. Upon returning to the gates, Pluto couldn't find X. When she had found the Gates empty, she immediately headed to the Moon Kingdom only to find it in complete ruin.

Vividly, Pluto remembered the endless piles of rubble that had once been their gorgeous Kingdom, the crackling fire. The sky was covered with a thick layer of ash and smoke, making it near impossible to breath. She remembered Eternal Sailor Moon approaching her to deliver the most dreadful news. Sailor X had gone rogue and had attempted to use her forbidden attack – the Shizuka na Shi. There had been no other way, they had stop X and they had. X had died. Pluto had always been haunted by the images of the past, present and future, but it was mostly this part, the unbearable part of the past of her Queen's Kingdom that disturbed her. "So many were injured because of my false judgment," Pluto murmured to herself. "Little One, I wanted things to be differently, I really did. I'm sorry…"

With a heavy sigh, the Senshin of Time and Space stood up from the pew. Her stays in this Chamber were never long; she came here simply out of respect. Pluto walked up to the alter with a small frown. She placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her gloved fingers and pressed them against the crystal, wishing she could see life in those hidden dark red eyes just once more.

**XXX**

"Setsuna?" Haruka asked, noticing her friend had been starting off into space while she had tried to tell her of the new attack that occurred this afternoon.

"Hmm?" Setsuna blinked and looked up, crashing back down into reality.

She had been sitting in an armchair in the living room of the Outer Senshin household. Realizing that she was currently being watched by not only Haruka, but Michiru and Hotaru as well, Setsuna felt a bit embarrassed for being caught off guard. It had been a long day and they didn't realize that. She hadn't told anyone else about Sailor X, about Tanaka. "I'm sorry," she quickly said. "I dozed off, Haruka, I'm pretty tired."

"Are you going to be okay, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked, concerned.

Setsuna flashed her small lady a smile. "Of course, hime-chan. Now, what were you saying?"

"My mirror picked up a new presence of evil," Michiru began. "We aren't exactly sure at the moment what it is, but whoever they are, they are obsessed with collecting human energy."

"According to the others, the monster intended of giving the energy to a source," Haruka added.

"Setsuna-mama, they want to awaken a powerful being," Hotaru chimed in. "We have to protect the universe again."

"That's what we are, Little One," Setsuna reminded with a faint grin, patting Hotaru on the head. "Guardians of the universe – how exactly are they collecting the energy? Do we know who'll be endangered next? Anything?"

"When Haruka and I were on vacation – when Haruka was sick, mind you, the Puppet and the Puppet Master were collecting the essence of energy from the audience. We believe whatever is attacking now uses the same method," Michiru answered. "And if that is the case, anyone can be a target next. I'll be keeping a close eye on my mirror."

Setsuna nodded, "I'll be watching for anything unusual at the Gates." Thought she was very tired and wanted nothing more but to rest for a while more, she forced herself onto her feet. There was work to be done and she had to return to the Gates. Her sudden movement caused the other three to rise as well. "I might be able to find something out about this if I return to my post."

"Can you stay for dinner, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked, taking a few steps closer to the older woman to grab her hand. "We don't see you around much anymore.

Kneeling down, Setsuna wrapped her arms around Hotaru. "Of course, hime-chan, I'll stay."

_**To Be Continued**_


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 1,900

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Two**

"Who are these new invaders and what do they want?" Pluto murmured to herself, leaning onto her time staff as she gazed up at the Gates, thinking of an answer. Maybe she would be able to pick up a vision from the future if she stated what she had wanted. These visions caused by the Gates were normally random and spontaneous, of course, and actually receiving one she would need was a slim chance. "Why are they harvesting human energy for this time? What is their purpose?" she continued to murmur, trying to pin point any commotion in time and space.

The others could be right. This new enemy, who they are, they could be collecting energy to fuel an even more powerful being. If that'd be the case, the senshin had to be well prepared for another battle; their mission was never over. They had to protect the prince and princess.

"There," Pluto spoke up, garnet eyes widening. "Small, but definitely a negative force coming from the outer part of the solar system – is that the enemy we're looking for?

_"I try not to think about it."_

_Pluto, who had been leaning against the sealed Gates, immediately turned her head to the left. She hadn't gotten use to the idea of having another being on duty with her, but she was slowly getting use to Sailor X's company. The younger woman – much younger, Pluto had centuries on her – was sitting up against the Gate, arms wrapped around her knees as her raven hair fell over her shoulders. Her scythe was on the ground, barely a couple inches away from her side. She was decent in combat, but Pluto admitted her form was a bit sloppy and more training would be needed for improvement._

_"About the civil war," X's cool voice had added. She was a sweet girl, very kind and it amazed Pluto how cold her voice or eyes could get, but that is what she had come to expect from the __senshi__ of time and death. It was almost like the Grim Reaper, Pluto had concluded. "It was obviously called the Forgotten Planet for a reason – who would have wanted to remember that wasteland?"_

_That is what they had called the tenth planet and they had labeled X the Forgotten __Senshi__, a term which she was never told about. No doubt, X had probably put two and two together. It wasn't rocket science._

_"Did you take a visit during your training?" Pluto asked._

_"Queen Serenity offered me to be escorted by you, yes," X replied. "But I declined the opportunity. If it's a wasteland, there is nothing to see."_

_Pluto didn't respond. She had been the one who took baby Tanaka away from the planet after the civil war had come to an end. The thriving city and palace had been reduced to nothing but ruins. Pluto couldn't help but wonder what had become of the planet – had foreign beings inhabited it? Planet X had been notorious for being attacked since it was on the outer limit of the solar system._

"The negative energy is coming from beyond Pluto – could it be coming from X?" the time guardian asked herself.

**XXX**

"If that's the case, then we should investigate the planet ourselves – the others will only hold us back," Haruka stated.

"My mirror came to the same conclusion," Michiru added. "If we are going to take any action, what of Hotaru? If this planet is inhabited by the enemy, we can't put her into danger."

"As a parental figure, Michiru, I agree with you, but Hotaru is also a sailor senshin with the same mission we all have," Setsuna replied.

It was late, their little angel had gone off to bed hours ago, the house had been quiet – the only source of light was coming from the mute television set in the living room where the three women stood. Haruka and Michiru had been watching it, waiting for their housemate to return with her findings.

"She is out daughter first before she is Sailor Saturn," Haruka pointed out. "If we're going to an abandoned planet, unsure of what we may come across, I don't want her tagging along."

Both Michiru and Setsuna nodded. "I'll give Usagi a call in the morning and see if Hotaru can spend the night with Chibiusa," Setsuna said. "We can do our search while she's out." There, they had a plan. Once Hotaru was safely at Usagi's, the three of them would head to Planet X. All Setsuna told them it had once been part of the Moon Kingdom, but was destroyed by an enemy force. She failed the mention anything about Sailor X, they didn't need to know about Tanaka. She didn't want to expose them to that part of the Kingdom's horrible past, no matter how close Setsuna had been to the girl.

"It's getting late, we should get to bed," Michiru said, walking over to the television set to turn it off. Now the room was softly illuminated by the moonlight shining through the windows. The flashing light had been rather bothersome. The aqua-haired woman gentle laced her fingers with that of her lover's before looking up at Setsuna. "You're not returning to the Gates now, are you? You need your rest also."

The older woman grinned; forcing back a small laugh at her roommate's natural maternal instincts due to having Hotaru around, but Michiru was also very caring. "I will rest, yes," she answered. "But I need to keep watch over the Gates. Maybe I'll pick up something else while I'm there, maybe we can get another hint and we'll know for definite what course of action we should take. Once I feel like I've received all the information we need, then I will take a break, but until then, this is my duty and it has been my duty for centuries."

Thought she didn't approve of Setsuna's answer, Michiru nodded, trying hard not to frown. She worried about her more than she was letting on. "Then we'll see you in the morning, good luck," she added, pulling Haruka towards the stairs with her. Once they reached the room they shared, Michiru released Haruka's hand and folded her arms over her chest.

Haruka rubbed the back of her head, watching Michiru carefully, she had seen her like this before – concerned, something was on her mind. "Michi, you want to talk?" she asked as she pulled off her shirt, beginning her nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. "I know there is something on your mind."

"Setsuna," Michiru needlessly replied. Their roommate had to have been on Haruka's mind as well. "She _has_ been protecting the Gates of Time for centuries. Alone. Doesn't that make you a bit uneasy? How can one person be alone for so long, you know?" With a faint sigh, she pulled her blouse over head and crossed the room to enter her walk-in closet. After hanging said blouse, she removed her black skirt and tossed it into the dirty hamper. She would be washing their dark clothes tomorrow, she reminded herself before taking a step out of the closet to gaze at Haruka who was already changing into her blue pajama pants and button up shirt.

"It's definitely something to think about, but this is how she has worked forever, Michiru," Haruka answered, finishing buttoning up her shirt. "Remember, she use to spend every waking up at the Gates, but now she does take more frequent breaks, she has a family now – she has us and Hotaru. Honestly, I don't believe she has been any happier."

"I'd like to see her home more though," Michiru murmured, pulling out her nightgown from under her pillow. "I know it's her mission and it's her duty to the Queen to fulfill it, it is a lot to ask for."

"We all have our duties to our Queen, Michiru," Haruka reminded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Setsuna was probably well aware of what she was asked to do before she took the position at the Gates – she is the senshin of time and space; after all, she was suitable for the job." Silently, Michiru nodded to Haruka's response and climbed into bed next to her.

**XXX**

After having spent all night watching the Gates for any further information or any possible sign that could aid them, Setsuna had returned to the household to pick up Hotaru. There was a definite benefit of being in the time gate, sleep didn't effect her; she was currently wide awake, but she didn't depart to Usagi's until her cup of morning coffee – the beans directly from Costa Rica, her favorite – had been consumed.

Hotaru had been unusually quiet during the car ride and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Not having been around much recently, Setsuna was expecting the young child to be a chatter box if anything. Bearing half the ride in complete silence, Setsuna glanced into the rearview mirror to make sure the girl was okay. Sure enough, Hotaru was quietly looking out her window, safely buckled in and everything. "Hime-chan," Setsuna finally spoke up. "Are you looking forward to a good time with Chibiusa today? Your Haruka-papa will be picking you up tomorrow in the early afternoon."

"I'll promise to have fun," Hotaru began, looking away from the window. A small frown twitched onto her lips when her eyes momentarily met Setsuna's through the rearview mirror. "If you three promise to be careful on that weird planet."

Setsuna's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly at Hotaru's response. "Did you overhear us talking last night, hime-chan?" she asked, pulling the car over to the side of the rode before putting it into park so she could turn in her seat to face the child, ready to address any questions that followed.

"I keep having the same nightmare," Hotaru answered. "And I was going to talk to Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama about it, but you were all downstairs talking. I'm sorry I overheard."

"You haven't told Haruka and Michiru about these nightmares?" Setsuna questioned, concerned. "What are they about, hime-chan?"

Hotaru shifted uncomfortably in her seat, Setsuna took notice. "The moon and the earth are consumed by darkness and the senshi fall victim to a woman – a warrior with a scythe," she answered. "A woman from outside the solar system. The planet you, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama is beyond the solar system, you guys need to be careful."

"We will be careful, don't worry," Setsuna reassured, forcing a smile for Hotaru's sake. In reality, her description of the woman with the scythe made the time guardian feel uneasy. It had to be a conwinsadence – many could wield a scythe after all, right? "And don't worry about the nightmare, alright?" she said, taking the girl's hand to squeeze. "The sailor senshi never fall."

Seeing her nod, Setsuna turned back around and shifted the car into drive once more to continue their short journey to Usagi's household.

_**To Be Continued**_


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 1,970

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Three**

A deep frown overcame her already weary face as the realization of nothing changed on the long ago abandoned planet struck her. Gripping her time staff tightly, Sailor Pluto had been surveying the area silently while Uranus and Neptune chatted among each other about who knew what, she hadn't been paying much attention to them, she had been lost in her own thoughts the moment they arrived on the planet. What had she been expecting? Did she want to find the planet inhabited again? Did she want to find negative beings with the intention of bringing back their leader? Had the people of X been horrible? Nothing was really known about the original inhabitants – all Pluto knew was Tanaka had been a great person.

"What do you think, Pluto?" Uranus asked.

Sending Pluto crashing back into reality, she glanced up. "It looks like we're somewhere along the outskirts of an old city, completely in ruins," she answered. "It appears nothing's been here for nearly a century," she added, it was almost true. It was actually a lot closer to seventy years, but that was a minor detail. Pluto turned around to face her other senshi.

Holding her precious mirror in her hands, Neptune's eyes were staring deeply into it, transfixed. Uranus was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder, trying to comprehend the mirror also, but Pluto was positive only Neptune could properly read into it. "No," the aqua haired woman murmured, shaking her head. "My magic mirror is picking up on something. There is something here, something covered with darkness, but it's a little faint, but it's here."

"Could it be the essence of what was once here?" Uranus questioned. "Obviously, this was once a civilization destroyed. This planet is on the outskirts of the solar system – bound to have been attacked by outside force. That being the case, they must have had a decent standing army," the senshi of wind continued to guess. "An army that fell to a negative force. The darkness you're picking up could be from that last battle."

"Perhaps they were originally a negative force to begin with," Neptune commented, looking up from her mirror. "As outer senshi, we protect this solar system from invading forces. What if those invading forces came from here?" she asked.

"Or maybe we're over analyzing the situation," Pluto spoke up. "I don't know much about this planet or its history, but according to Queen Serenity, it was once a thriving place. It fell due to a civil war, no survivors; they reduced the city to ruins – I was sent to scout the area when the activity died out," she explained, balancing her time staff in both hands. "Any negative forces we are sensing are probably from beyond our galaxy inhabiting here."

With a frown, Uranus crossed her arms over her chest. Had Pluto told them this information earlier, it might have saved them a trip to these ruins. "Should we go deeper into the city then?"

"We should attempt to locate the source of the evil we're dealing with back on earth," Pluto answered. "Whether or not it comes from here."

**XXX**

Scourging the runes of the city, they found nothing to be concerned about and moved on to the old palace which, compared to the rest, seemed to be in good condition. To cover more ground, Uranus suggested they split up and check out the different wings. At once, Pluto claimed the remaining upper floor. Neptune and Uranus were to take on the different parts of the lower level. Once her teammates were out of sight, Pluto made a beeline to the old sleeping chamber.

The room once held massive elegant furniture by the look of things, all of which were now wrecked. However, the crib in the middle of the room had remained in perfect condition. Pluto's gloved hand ran over the railing, this is where it all started. Baby Tanaka had laid here, the symbol of X upon her forehead, protecting her; unaware of what had happened to her home, her planet. She was just an innocent little child.

Feeling a pair of eyes burn into the back of her neck, the time guardian immediately whipped around, extending her staff, ready to fight if necessary. The cloaked figured who had been standing behind her didn't move, it was staring over her shoulder towards the crib. The hand of the figure reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing a sullen, pale face with thin lips and dark colored eyes as long stands of silver hair fell forward. He seemed to be harmless, but Pluto was well aware that looks could be deceiving.

"Sixty eight years, she has been gone," he murmured in a raspy voice, walking right past Pluto who turned around to keep an eye on him. He gripped the edge of the crib. "Taken away from her home, murdered before her time – right when we needed her to lead an invasion."

Pluto's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the bizarre man and the way he was talking about Tanaka's memory only infuriated her. "You knew the princess?" she spoke up. Judging the man's shocked reaction, he hadn't been aware of Pluto's presence, making her come to the conclusion that the man probably wasn't mentally stable – the effects of the war, perhaps?

"Served the royal family," he answered in the same raspy voice. "The King and Queen – little Princess Tanaka was learning to walk, the war ripped them apart. My Queen first, then my King, but my Princess was taken away – off to the Moon Kingdom, forced to abandon her poor planet."

"Under the order of Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, Tanaka was taken into the safety of the sailor senshi to commence her-"

The man cut her off. "Murdered, was my dear princess, at the tender age of eighteen."

"Tanaka wasn't murdered," Pluto corrected. "As Sailor X, she had the ability to cast death and chaos among a mass number of beings – it was a forbidden and senshi are ultimately punished if such the case, Tanaka's case."

He turned back to the empty crib. "Sailor Pluto, guardian of the Gates – Princess became your partner, you allowed her to die."

Quickly, Pluto shook her head. "Believe me when I tell you I did nothing but help Tanaka; the Gates can change people, she was driven to insanity, she cracked."

"She will rise again," he murmured, the dullness in his dark eyes were beginning to disappear as eyebrows narrowed. "Her body lays at rest, waiting to be called upon, my Princess shall lead her new people in a revolution. The Moon Kingdom will fall." Just as quickly as he had spoke, the man had disappeared in a flash of light as Pluto attempted to swing her staff in his general direction.

The ground under her feet began to shake. The old palace was giving away. They had to get out of here. "Uranus! Neptune!" Pluto shouted, running down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. "Ladies, we've got what we came for!"

**XXX**

Setsuna had done a lot of explaining to both Haruka and Michiru. It was very late, not making the conversation any easier; they were currently struggling to stay awake. After explaining about Sailor X and the man she had encountered on the planet, Setsuna leaned back against the seat and took a sip of her tea. "It makes me uneasy," she added, standing up from her seat. Like Haruka and Michiru, she wanted nothing more than to rest, but there was still work to be done.

"You told us there were no survivors of that civil war," Haruka pointed out.

"Apart from Tanaka, we didn't know of any other survivors and if you want to be technical, Tanaka is dead, no longer a living survivor obviously," Setsuna stated.

"Well," Michiru spoke up before her lover and roommate got to each others throats. "There is no need to get snappy with each other. We're all in this together. Now, Setsuna, this man had the intention of bringing X back for a revolution? Can he honestly wake the dead?"

It was a ridiculous idea, the mere thought made her want to laugh, but at the same time, Setsuna wanted to run to the Chamber to make sure Tanaka hadn't been disturbed of her resting place. "Whoever that man was, he wasn't in the right state of mind – not that I'm implying we should take him lightly," she quickly added. "After a quick rest, I'm heading back to the Moon Kingdom to check up on a few things. I'm concerned about all this."

"You're not going alone," Haruka warned. "We don't want you walking into the enemy's trap if this is what they had intended."

**XXX**

Not much sleeping had been done, not by the time guardian at least. Her thoughts had definitely prevented that from occurring, sure enough, Setsuna had difficulty staying in bed, she wanted to be out and doing something, something progressive, but Haruka and Michiru wanted to be there, just in case. She had forced herself to stay in her room, mentally preparing herself for the worst – the worst being the man was actually going forth with his insane plan and Tanaka's eternal rest would be troubled in some way. Quietly, Pluto lead both Uranus and Neptune to the entrance of the Chamber. This was the moment of truth. "This room was built in hopes it would never have to be used," she said, grasping the massive handle. "We believed a senshi would never fall, especially in a way X had," she added, pushing the door open.

Uranus and Neptune followed Pluto into the Chamber silently, but upon seeing the aisle, they both had a hard time stifling a gasp. Pluto walked up the alter, her fellow senshi lingered at the front pew. "When in the Gates, you see uncontrolled visions. I don't know what X saw," Pluto began, relieved nothing in the Chamber had been touched. "But these reoccurring visions drove her to insanity, drove her to her death."

Giving Neptune's hand a gentle squeeze, Uranus stepped up onto the alter. Seeing the peaceful young woman within the coffin made her frown. "Insanity, enough to lead a revolutionary against the Moon Kingdom?" she murmured, watching her roommate inspect the coffin, trying to something wrong, but in reality, Pluto was trying not to snap. Tanaka wouldn't. She was just a troubled girl who cried for help – a cry that went unanswered.

Feeling the tention rising between her close friend and lover, Neptune stepped up. "I'm sure Sailor X was a respectable senshi, Setsuna, but we're concerned about that man, aren't we? We have to be ready for all the possibilities."

Catching Neptune's eye, Uranus nodded. "We need to keep an eye out for this guy, whoever he is, and he mentioned awakening X to lead a revolution. If that's the case and we assume in the right mind X wouldn't do that, we have to predict the man can have control over X."

"These are all assumptions," Pluto stated, steadily growing more annoyed. This was why she wanted to come alone. As much as she loved her roommates, they didn't know Tanaka and jumped to ridiculous conclusions. She had been a senshi, she fought for the Moon Kingdom. She also nearly destroyed the Kingdom, Pluto reminded herself. "Let's head back before we start worrying Hotaru."

_**To Be Continued**_


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,100

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Four**

_Her breathing grew heavy; she closed her eyes tightly, trying to shake away the vision. Scythe thrown aside, Sailor X was on her knees, hunched over and grasping her forehead. Having heard the clank of the scythe hitting the ground, Pluto whirled around to see her partner in distress. "X," she said gently, kneeling down next to her. She placed her hand on X's tensed back. "Take it easy, honey, take it-"_

_"Take it easy?" X snapped back, pushing Pluto's hand away. "Get these visions out of my head, Puu. Please," she begged and hearing her beg like that made Pluto feel horrible, her heart ached for the other woman._

_Queen Serenity and Pluto, herself, both warned X what the Gates of Time could do. They warned her of these visions, that it would take some time to grow use to. She had taken them very well at first, but now… Instead of getting better, they were getting worse – much worse – and Pluto didn't know what to do. She needed to speak to the Queen about this, maybe X needed time away from the Gates. Granted, she hadn't been here long, but Pluto was beginning to think X was too young to be thrown into the responsibility that came with being a time guardian__, she needed more training. Pluto had been in her twenties when she first entered the Gate, not her late teen years. It was only a few years difference, but those years meant more experienced training._

_"Setsuna."_

_Frowning, Pluto wrapped her arms around X's figure. At first, she tried to fight her off, but X did give in and fell into her mentor's embrace. "Tanaka, please, honey, talk to me," she said gently, kissing the top of her head. "That's why I'm here, what are you seeing? Let me help you." She could feel X shaking._

_"Horrible," X murmured into Pluto's shoulder._

_"Honey, I wish I could make them stop," Pluto answered __honestly to her partner's__ short statement, stroking her long black hair with a gloved hand. __As short as it was, Pluto understood where she was coming from. The Gates had been harsh on her centuries ago__ when she first started, but with a little concentration, things got a lot better and they would for X too, she knew it. __"Things will get better, I promise. I use to see them also when I first started, but you'll learn to handle them – block them out. You're going to be okay."_

_"C__-C__an't,"__ X stuttered__, struggling to talk due to her bouts of shaking. "Take me out of here, please."__ She rested her head against Pluto's chest. Yes, the older woman was her mentor, but Pluto had made it clear when they first met that she would be a close friend as well. Protecting the Gates together, it was bound to happen._

_Pluto sighed heavily, casting her gaze upwards. Had they been in any other position, it would have naturally seemed like a simple request. Everyone needed a break every once in a while, right? However, the Gates were different. They were forbidden to leave the Gates unprotected. She could just let X step out on her own for a bit and she could remain at the Gate, but she wanted to make sure that X would be fine and that also involved her stepping out too. It would only be for a short while, Pluto tried to reassure herself. Coming to the conclusion, she nodded. "Okay," she answered. "We'll get away for a little bit."_

**XXX**

_Queen Serenity was going to have her head for leaving the Gates unattended, but Setsuna would deal with that when the time came. She wouldn't allow Tanaka to be dragged down into this because, after all, it was Setsuna's decision ultimately to step away from the Gates for a short while. Right now, she was more concerned for Tanaka's well-being. Granted, they couldn't make these sorts of runs frequently and hopefully they wouldn't have to – she had to make it clear that these trips would probably only happen once in a blue moon if even that. Tanaka would get use to the Gates, Setsuna reassured herself. She had to._

_Arms folded over her chest, Setsuna gazed at the younger woman sitting next to her on the park bench. For the first time, she truly looked relax, making this risky afternoon in Tokyo was worth it, Setsuna would deal with the __Queen later. Seeing Tanaka lean casually against the wooden bench, legs stretched out while enjoying a vanilla ice-cream cone and watching little children run about the play ground not too far from them brought a faint smile to the time guardian's lips. "It's different isn't it?" Setsuna asked, watching her enjoy that simple ice-cream cone._

_"From the Moon Kingdom, yes," she answered. Short answers, they were always short answers. Setsuna's smile grew slightly. "What do you think about it?" The trick, she had learned early on, was trying to avoid yes-or-no questions. At first, she thought Tanaka was just a shy person, but it turned out she wasn't much of a talker unless the subject at hand was remotely interesting to her. _

_"It's unfair," Tanaka replied, looking away from a little boy swinging on the monkey bars and to her mentor. "Here we are, protecting the Gates, unable to have a normal life. We don't' age, we don't experience life as it was meant to be experienced. Setsuna, I want to experience life's greatest adventure, an adventure you should have had centuries ago – death," she answered._

_Surprisingly enough, Setsuna wasn't shocked by the response. Sailor X __was the senshi of time and death, the essence of what the Grim Reaper ultimately was; Tanaka would see death as the next great adventure, an adventure Setsuna hoped __neither of them would__ have for a long while still. "None of us can live forever, honey – us included," she said as Tanaka returned to her ice-cream cone. "Our own time will come."_

**XXX**

_"Keep it up, X," Pluto ordered, kneeling down. She held her time staff over __her head, where it was met by the blade of a scythe. "You're getting better," she commented. X took a step back and entered a battle stance, holding her scythe defensively. Planting her staff firming against the ground, Pluto flung herself forward. X, with the intention of leaping out of the way, froze. Her red eyes widen with fear as Pluto's kick collided with her stomach. X tumbled back, wincing. Pluto knew that look, it was another damn vision. Abandoning her time staff, Pluto helped X sit up. The girl's reaction to the visions was lessening. Instead of screaming and holding her head, X merely rubbed her forehead and grew cold now. "You alright?"_

_"I'm fine," X muttered, pulling away from Pluto and picking up her scythe. "We go again. Now."_

_"X, we can take a break, we have time-"_

_"We have all the time in the world and then some," X snapped, pulling away from the other senshi. "Let me correct myself, we have all of eternity. No, we go _now_," she demanded, sounding annoyed. She didn't need a break; they needed to get back onto their feet and start __once more – from the top. There was no need for a break._

_Pluto shook her head. "You need a break after all that," she stated in a final tone. However, once Pluto had her staff in her hands and back turned, X shot up and swung her scythe__ towards her teacher__. Immediately, Pluto turned around and blocked with her staff. Just as quick, Pluto spun around and struck X once more in the stomach, an already sore spot for the young woman. __X was a good fighter, but Pluto had years, no, centuries, of experience over her. That being the case, Pluto held back during her little training sessions with her partner. __She __staggered a bit, but kept going nonetheless;__ X lifted her scythe once again.__ "Pluto Deadly Scream, " the senshi whispered quietly, firing a ball of energy towards the other._

_Colliding with the attack, X finally fell to her knees, scythe clattering in front of her. "I am your mentor, Tanaka," Pluto said sternly, lowering her time staff, frowning deeply. "I know what's good for you and you went and attacked me when my back was turned?" she angrily added. "We are done for now."_

**XXX**

_"No," Pluto whispered__, her __eyes darting around __quickly __at what had once been the Moon Kingdom. The palace had been destroyed, reduced to ruins.__ She could still hear pieces of debris tumbling, this had just happened extremely recently. The dust and dirt was still trying to settle and flickers of flame were going out.__ None of this made sense – there hadn't been any negative forces invading the solar system, they hadn't been expecting an attack. Grasping her staff tightly, she took a few steps closer. "W-What__…__?"__ The sight made her sick. Where was everyone else? The senshi – did they fall? Were they not able to defeat the enemy? What of the Queen? Was she alright?_

_"Pluto…"_

_The sen__shi of time tensed at the familiar voice and turned around. "My Queen," she replied, standing in front of battered and tattered Eternal Sailor Moon, feeling the tiniest bit of relief; their Queen was safe. It was the senshi's mission to protect the Queen, they couldn't fail that. "T-There were no – what happened?" she asked._

_Frowning, Eternal Sailor Moon gazed over Pluto's shoulder, towards her fallen palace. "It wasn't an outside force, no," she answered what she considered was an obvious question. How many times have negative forces from beyond the solar system attacked their Moon Kingdom? How many times did the senshi response and fight back? "This destruction was caused by Sailor X."_

_Pluto felt her heart skip a beat as she whirled back around to the ruins, eyes widening at the news she had just received. Their Kingdom fell… because of Tanaka? No, there was no way, she wasn't capable of all this. "My Queen," Pluto began. "There's… That's not possible."_

_"X confronted me in my thrown room before all this," Eternal Sailor Moon stated, taking a couple of steps closer to her single time guardian. "She had some strong opinions; she wasn't mentally stable – cracked. She used her forbidden attack and this is the outcome of it. The palace destroyed, many injured and… the attack took her own life. Pluto, I'm sorry." Had she not been supporting herself with her time staff, Pluto would have fallen over; her knees were about the give in. This couldn't be true. Not X, not Tanaka. There was no way. She couldn't be gone. Without another word to her Queen, Pluto took off at a run towards the palace, ignoring Eternal Sailor Moon's warnings of danger. It didn't matter if the palace's structure was stable or not, she__ had to get to that throne room and pieces of the falling palace was not enough to stop her from attempting either._

_Entering the room, Pluto first caught sight of the all too familiar scythe near the throne room's entrance. Garnet eyes gazed up and landed on the limp body floor only a few feet away in the middle of the room. Abandoning her time staff, Pluto knelt down and took Tanaka's body into her arms. The young woman's body was already cold to the touch. Pluto felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe it; she didn't want to believe it. "Honey, please," Pluto begged, rocking the body as she rested her cheek against Tanaka's head, hoping against all hope. "Please, wake up, baby. Tanaka, it's not suppose to be – I didn't mean to – please, wake up…"_

**XXX**

"Soon, my princess," the man murmured quietly, running his hand over the glass coffin which kept the last member of the royal bloodline from the planet X safe. "The Guardian of Time and Death watches over you, Princess Tanaka – you were meant to defeat Death, overcome it. You must continue to fight with all your might. You will rise again and lead your revolution, you will strike down those who have harmed you. Together, we shall bring honor back to our forsaken planet."

_**To Be Continued**_


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,520

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Five**

Hotaru's small form under the blankets tossed and turned violently in her sleep. Her breathing grew more and more unsteady with every moment. Her eyes were tightly closed, her body shaking horribly as her small hands grasped the blankets she was wrapped in close to her chest. Beads of sweat trailed down her forehead and strands of dark hair as a small whimper escaped her lips.

_The Moon Kingdom. It was covered by a bleak darkness. The sky, packed with dark massive clouds roar with thunder and lightning laminated the deep red hue. Feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest, Hotaru ducked her head and screamed loudly at the earth shaking thunder. The young child fell to her knees and held covered her ears, waiting for the terrible storm to pass by – if it would pass by. "The Senshi of Death and Destruction is afraid of a little storm?" a cool female voice spoke causing the whimpering Hotaru to look up. "Don't worry, little one, it will all blow over soon, you have my promise."_

_The young girl's dark purple eyes widened at the sight of the woman. "You!" she immediately shouted, standing up onto her feet. "You've done all this!" she accused. "You're going to destroy the Moon Kingdom-!"_

_"Little one, this Kingdom has let me down," Sailor X replied. "In the right state of mind, I seek my revenge. If it wasn't for this Kingdom, for the Queen, I would have experienced a normal life."_

_"T-That's not true!" Hotaru stuttered, trying her best to sound at least the tiniest bit brave. "You were a senshi, you had a duty to the Queen!"_

_Sailor X brought her scythe over her head and brought it striking down towards Hotaru, who winced, waiting for the blade to leave its mark upon her, but it never came. Hotaru cautiously looked up to find the figure of Sailor Saturn standing over her, fending off X. "Guardian of the planet Saturn, I shall not allow you to harm this girl, Forgotten One."__ Red eyes narrowed at the term. X took a jump back, holding her scythe out towards Saturn and Hotaru. "You will not taken energy from this child, we will not aid in your resurrection," Saturn stated, holding her own scythe towards X in return, determined to keep Hotaru safe._

_"Do you care to test our powers, Saturn?" X asked, grinning slightly. "Shall we see which senshi of death is more powerful?" Pulling her scythe back, X lunged towards Saturn who had done the same action._

Screaming, Hotaru sat up straight in bed, holding her blanket close to her chest. Not even a moment later, her bedroom door nearly flew off its hinges due to Setsuna rushing in. Being that her room was right next door, she heard her little angel clearly and had immediately shot out of bed herself. Hotaru flew into her arms as the time guardian sat down on the bed. Setsuna wrapped her arms around the girl protectively as Haruka and Michiru appeared at the doorway. "It was just a dream, hime-chan," Setsuna said softly, trying to calm her down. Gingerly, she stroked Hotaru's hair, placing a small kiss on the top of her head.

"S-She's going to destroy us!" Hotaru murmured against Setsuna's chest. "She wants my energy – Saturn's energy; she wants to come back!" Hearing the unquestionable fear in their daughter's voice, Setsuna met the eyes of her two roommates, Haruka and Michiru.

"Hime-chan, anyone who wants to harm you will answer to us," Haruka reassured.

**XXX**

"Definitely not as much energy as I had hoped," the man murmured to himself, frowning at the crystal coffin. "Too weak to be released just yet certainly. We will strike Saturn again, my Princess, just a bit more power from the Senshi of Death and Destruction and then we shall be able to attack Pluto. Soon, my Princess, soon you will be among us again."

**XXX**

"Hotaru's still asleep," Michiru said, handing Setsuna her morning cup of tea before joining her friend at the kitchen table. "Haruka took her bike out for a spin to clear her mind, trying to find something out."

Setsuna took a grateful sip from her cup, she was pretty tired. After the nightmare, Hotaru slept with the time guardian in her room, but it had taken the child ages to fall back asleep. The nightmare had really shaken her up, she had been afraid to fall back asleep, but Setsuna promised that she would protect her from anymore bad dreams and had stayed up until Hotaru felt comfortable enough to finally return to sleep. "That vision really took a toll on her and I, as well, am troubled by it."

"Sailor X is after her energy, correct?" Michiru commented.

"No," Setsuna answered. "Not Tanaka – that man is after Sailor Saturn. She's the senshi of death and that is half of what Sailor X is. If that's the case, he'll be after me, senshi of time."

"Don't be irrational, Setsuna," Michiru warned.

"Irrational?" Setsuna questioned. "Michiru, he's after Hotaru, he's tarnishing X's memory and has the intention of destroying the Moon Kingdom. If he crosses my path, I have a duty to our Queen."

"Is it possible," Michiru began. "Because X is involved, you are more willing to take action based on the little knowledge we have?"

Instead of answering, Setsuna took another sip from her morning tea. Tanaka had meant a lot to her, yes, and she'd be damned to have her memory soiled. "We need to be careful," Michiru enforced. "Especially since we don't know what we're up against. If little was known about the original inhabitants of Planet X, then we shouldn't attack blindly – "

"Until we find out more?" Setsuna guessed, finishing her friend's statement. "Leave that to me – will you be alright with Hotaru?"

Michiru nodded. "We'll be fine here. Good luck."

**XXX**

_"It's okay, little princess," a woman cooed gently over the whimper baby in her arms. She held the small infant close to her chest. Almost immediately, the baby reached up for the woman's long, raven colored hair with a faint giggle – the earlier tears had disappeared. "Now Tanaka, behave little one…"_

_"Are you alright, my Queen?"_

_The woman – the Queen – gazed over her shoulder towards the man standing at the doorway of the nursery. "We're alright in here, Yoko, thank you," she answered, the man bowed to her before dismissing himself from the doorway._

_Yoko quickly walked down the hallway where he met up with another palace servant. Certain they were out of earshot, he spoke up. "Tonight," Yoko said simply. "We start the revolution tonight during the banquet. All the lords and members of the royal family are to attend, they shall be present."_

_"We can get rid of them all in one blast, brilliant," the other man replied._

_"Yes, but until then, Kyoaku, we continue our duty as faithful servants," Yoko warned. "They cannot know we are part of the rebellion – the King will have our heads on a platter."_

_Kyoaku nodded in understanding. "But when tonight's good and done, brother, I want the remains of his head on my very own platter – shame we have to kill the young princess also."_

_"There is no shame – none of the royal bloodline shall live," Yoko remarked coldly._

**XXX**

_His head was throbbing, but Kyoaku managed to dig himself out of a pile of rubble. He wasn't sure what had happened – the massacre had been going on as they had planned in the banquet hall, he had been ordered to the nursery where the baby princess had been put to rest. The last thing Kyoaku could remember was a bright light coming from the second floor and now their kingdom had been reduced to… ruins. Was this part of their plan Yoko failed to mention? Staggering, Kyoaku stood up to continue towards his destination, however, he heard a voice coming from the nursery._

_"It's okay, little one…"_

_The Queen?_

_No. She had been slain by his own hand before he had been given orders to find Princess Tanaka. Hearing the infant's cry made his heart beat faster. Tanaka was still alive – how could a mere baby survive a blast that reduced their kingdom to nothing? Kyoaku carefully peeked into the nursery where a tall woman with long, dark green hair was standing over the crib, holding onto a strangely shaped staff._

_"You're safe now…"_

**XXX**

_"What do you mean the princess lives!?" Yoko snarled, wincing at the sharp pain in his arm. "Kyoaku, do not tell me we have failed!" He leaned back against the slanted wall of the destroyed banquet hall. Something had gone wrong__, but as long as all the members of the royal family were gone, Yoko would have considered their mission a success._

_"Look around, Yoko!" Kyoaku snapped in return, his head throbbing meanly still. "This is not what we intended! No one on this planet is alive besides you and me – and the princess Tanaka –"_

_"I gave you the simple task to murder an infant and you failed!" Yoko spat angrily. "Tanaka's been taken away to the Moon Kingdom where she shall be better protected!"_

_"Yoko, the blast came from the second level," Kyoaku attempted to defend himself. "Nothing and no one was up there but the Princess – could it have been her planet power awakening?"_

_"Are you suggesting the whole planet has been reduced to nothing because of an infant?" Yoko asked, holding back a laugh._

_"If the sailor senshi of the planet X were to arise, she would be the Senshi of Time and Death," Kyoaku informed. "Her powers can bring ultimate destruction – the planet was in distress, her powers were protecting her."_

_Yoko shook his head. "Then why is it we are still alive, Kyoaku?"_

_"Isn't it obvious? We were chosen by the Princess," Kyoaku answered. "We were chosen to protect her. She will train to be a senshi, Yoko, and when the time comes, we will aid her into taking over the Moon Kingdom – this wasy only a test. This will prepare us for the real deal when she comes of age."_

_Now Yoko was smirking. "If we have control of the Moon Kingdom, we have control of the entire solar system…"_

**XXX**

Pluto leaned back against the Gates, rubbing her forehead, allowing the new information from the past to settle in. She had saved Tanaka. They were going to kill her, she came just in time, but that the same time, had she put her in more danger? Was X's attack on the Moon Kingdom really due to insanity? Or had she played them all, did she have a second agenda? Pluto didn't want to know. She didn't want to consider it. X wouldn't, would she? She knew Tanaka, but the two men were questionable – she knew Kyoaku, he was that man she had seen, the cloaked man, but what of Yoko? Was he still even around? They hadn't have the… pleasure of meeting him yet.

**XXX**

_"Kyoaku!" Yoko snapped, standing from his seat at the empty table in the banquet hall. "Brilliant idea – we shall merely wait for the Princess to return to us, the Princess is dead!" he shouted, rubbing the arm that still pained him after so many years later._

_"Do not over react, Yoko, it will drive us apart, brother," Kyoaku warned._

_"Drive us apart? We no longer have a purpose – this is a lost cause."_

_"I will never give up on our Princess, she shall over come this!"_

**XXX**

Yuru Akurei peered over the top of the pile of papers he still had left to grade to view the murky rainy weather outside, pouring over the city of Tokyo. He turned up the volume of his stereo system slightly to overcome nature's own music; it was too distracting, he'd rather stay with his usual classical. Reminding himself not to be too tough, Yuru began reading over his star pupil's essay. He only got a couple sentences in before he glanced back up. Someone, something was watching him. He could feel an extra pair of eyes staring him down. "Paranoid," Yuru murmured to himself before returning to the essay – no more distractions, he had to get this pile finished and he almost was; he currently was on Tomoe, Hotaru. She always did a good job, decent, hardworking student.

"Our Princess is close to awakening, Yoko…"

That was a name he hadn't heard in a long time, especially from that voice – if it were the same voice, it was raspy, as if it hadn't been of use in a while. "Kyoaku," he answered, standing up. Just as he had predicted, Kyoaku was leaning against the window – time and probably his own obsessive complusive about the Princess have worn on him where in Yuru's case, he hadn't aged a day. "It's been nearly a century, give up, Kyo."

Kyoaku shook his head. "I am not abandoning the Princess, Yoko, no when I am so close to her resurrection – the answer was right in front of us the whole time: the sailor senshi, their power will aid the Princess."

"It took you a century o land on the sailor senshi?" Yuru scoffed. "I've told you before, I'll tell you again, this is a lost cause. Our planet no longer exists nor does our vision of a better future."

"You're wrong!" Kyoaku pushed himself off the wall. "years I've been collecting energy little by little to remain undetected for the Princess. She is ready to be awoken – believe in her, Yoko, like you once had! I know that arm bothers you from time to time still. Help me and she will reward you greatly, she will help you."

He had been right, Yuru's old battle injury harmed him every once in a blue moon. "And how do the sailor senshi work into all this?" he asked, considering the offer.

"Not all, just two – Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto," Kyoaku informed. "Their planet power will be just enough to grant the Princess life again, but they are well protected and there is where I need you, Yoko."

"I havent' used my powers in half a century, Kyo," Yuru replied. "What makes you think I can get any closer to them than you can?"

With a faint smirk, Kyoaku walked over to the table where all of the papers were scattered upon. He picked up the one on top of the pile. "one of them is in your class – Sailor Saturn," he said, handing the paper over.

Yuru gazed down at the sheet. "Hotaru Tomoe is Sailor Saturn?"

"You know what you must do, Yoko."

He nodded, "The Princess will be among us soon."

_**To Be Continued**_


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,020

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Six**

Trying her hardest not to frown, Hotaru looked over her graded assignment which had been covered with red marks and ridiculous corrections. There must have been some mistake, this couldn't be right – she followed the directions and everything. She waited until the bell and when she was the last student remaining, Hotaru quietly got up to talk to her teacher. "Akurei-sama?" she spoke up. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Yuru looked up. "Sensei, I got my paper back and I think there might have been a mistake," she said, holding out the assignment in question. Yuru took the piece of paper into his hand as he stood up to walk around his desk. He rubbed his chin, pretending to think it over for a second. Finally, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Tomoe," he spoke. "You did not address what I was looking for."

Hotaru was a bit taken back. She did not address what he was looking for? She was positive she had done the assignment correctly. She had both her Michiru-mama and Setsuna-mama look over it to find any corrections, they told her she had done a good job – even Haruka-papa said it sounded pretty right. What more could she have done? "Then out of curiosity, what were you expecting from the assignment?" she asked.

"Simple enough," Yuru answered, removing his glasses. He placed them and the paper on the desk. "I want your planet power, Sailor Saturn." Before Hotaru could digest what he had just said, Yuru had his hands wrapped around her neck and she yelped. "Do not restain, you are aiding for a better world for us all," he said, almost laughing when the mark of Saturn appeared on her forehead which felt like it was splitting in two. Hotaru screamed and, against Yuru's wishes, tried to wiggle away, but it was effortless. In a matter of moemtn, the young girl passed out. This had been easy enough – Kyoaku simply had lost his touch without him – he needed Yoko by his side.

**XXX**

The room of the Chamber began to shake. Kyoaku stood up from the pew he had been sitting upon, ready to protect the princess's lifeless body if necessary – was this an outside force trying to foil them? However, the liquid inside the crystal coffin began to bubble causing Kyoaku to take a doubtful step forward. A bright X shown clearly on his princess' forehead. "Princess Tanaka," he murmured.

At once, her red eyes shot open wide and the crustal coffin cracked in many places. The pressure from the liquid caused the shards of crystal to fire out, Kyoaku blocked his face from the danger – for a split second, Sailor X stood on her feet. Her fuku quickly reduced itself to ribbons and her eyes drew to a close. Kyoaku sprung forward to catch his falling, naked princess. With a bit of difficulty, he covered her figure with his cloak. Yoko had done his job, he must have gotten to Sailor Saturn – what Kyoaku didn't expect was for the coffin to explode and to se Princess Tanaka on her feet. Was Pluto even necessary? Yes, Sailor Saturn was the Senshi of Death, they still needed the essence of time for Sailor X to regain complete power.

Gently, Kyoaku stroked her long raven hair. This was really happening, their dreams were now within reach. He chuckled slightly, feeling the woman breath. It was shallow, but she was breathing, she was alive – they were that much close to their revolution. "Prove to us, princess, not all of the royal bloodline were mindless tyrants," he murmured to her sleeping form. "You are giv en a second chance to prove yourself."

**XXX**

Once the young girl had stopped her ridiculous screaming, Yuru dropped her against the floor; she had served her purpose to their princess. He collected her energy, he didn't need anything more. He took a step back to lean against the whiteboard. This wasn't his life anymore, he wasn't a teacher; he was a servant to the planet of X, the Forgotten Planet. "No more shall it be forgotten," Yuru said to himself, smirking as he folded his arms over his chest. "There shall not be a single being alive that won't fear us. Princess," he addressed, casting his eyes up towards the ceiling. "Forgive me for having my doubts, it was very foolish of me – I, Yoko, am your servant."

**XXX**

Hotaru was never late. She was always among the eager crowd of students hurtling through the school doors seconds after the final bell – today wasn't any different; she didn't have any club meetings, Haruka checked on that twice to be sure. Now she wanted to call Michiru back home to confirm that bit of information once again. Where was hime-chan? Watching the last few remaining children scurry off, Haruka killed the car's engine. Pocketing the keys, she made a beeline for the school building. Maybe Hotaru had to speak to one of her teachers? Maybe Haruka should have given her a bit more time, but if she was talking to one of her teachers, Haruka could help perhaps. After all, she was one of Hotaru's guardians. What floor was her classroom on again? The second? That sounded about right. Michiur and Setsuna were usually the ones who took care of anything educational involving their daughter.

Reaching what Haruka believed to be the right floor, she looked down the hallway. It was the third room on the left, right? Wrapping her hand around the doorknob, Haruka pushed the door open. "Sorry, I was wondering where Hotaru – "she paused upon seeing the lights off and the window curtains drawn to a close. She began to turn around, gazed casted on the ground. Her eyes widened and her stomach turned when she spotted the girl on the ground. "Htoaru!"she called out, immediately at her daughter's side. She took the girl into her arms where she tried to gently shake her awake. "Hime-chan."

Hotaru's eyebrows furrowed slightly, followed by a small whimper. A moment later, her dark eyes fluttered open, causing a wave of relief to wash over Haruka. Granted, she was still very much worried, she wanted ot know what the hell happened. "Hime-chan," she repeated, placing a kiss on her forehead which Hotaru tried to pull away from. Her forehead was still a little tender. "What's wrong, what happened? Are you okay?" Hotaru curled up in Haruka's arms, feeling safe.

"Mr. Akurei," the child murmured. "H-He… he took my energy for-for a 'better world.'"

Carefully, Haruka stood up, holding Hotaru close to her chest, anger coursing throughout her body. Her hime-chan got hurt because some nutter believed he could raise the dead. "You're going to be okay," Haruka reassured. "Your Michiru-mana, Setsuna-mama and I are going to get to the bottom of this."

**XXX**

"Rest for now," Michiru said softly, stroking Hotaru's hair gently. Frowning, HOtaru took a hold of Michiru's hand. "We're here to protect you, hime-chan. We'll figure this all out."

"Michiru-mama, I never felt a negative force coming from Mr. Akurei. I don't understand," Hotaru muttered. "Didn't feel anything."

"Neither did we, hime-chan," Michiru answered honestly. "But now, my mirror, it's picking up an even stronger wave of darkness than it was before."

"I'm worried about my vision…"

Placing a kiss on the back of her small hand, Michiru stood up. "We won't allow anything to happen to the earth or to the Moon Kingdom. I'm going to talk with your Haruka-papa and Setsuna-mama-"

"Me too," Hotaru spoke up. "I'm a sailor senshi too, I'm Sailor Saturn – I have a duty to the princess."

"Hime-chan."

"Michiru-mama," Hotaru replied, sitting up from her bed. "I'm a guardian of the solar system, I have planet power and maybe I'm getting these visions because there is something I can do to help – I want to help.

With a faint sigh, Michiru nodded. "Let me go get Setsuna-mama and Haruka-papa."

Both Haruka and Setusna were a bit reluctant about allowing Hotaru to listen in, but the young child had a point, she was a senshi too and she also had a duty to fulfill for the Moon Kingdom. Michiru and Setsuna sat on the edge of the mattress while Haruak leaned against the door – none of them knew where to begin. They hadn't been taking this new enemy seriously, but they weren't about to verbally admit it. "We need to take action," Haruka stated the obvious. "Are we assuming the man from the ruins and Yuru Akurei are the same person or do we believe otherwise?" she asked.

"We believe otherwise," Setsuna answered. "The man we had seen at the ruins was Kyoaku. He and Yoko – Yuru Akurei – had been servants to the royal family on planet X, they helped attempt to overthrow the Kingdom. They believe with Tanaka's help, they could create the kingdom they ahd always imagined, but when Tanaka passed away, Yoko saw their plans as a lost cause and moved on. Kyoaku, on the other hand, firmly believed that couldn't be the end and continued his mission to collect energy – that's what I was able to see through the Gates," she quickly added, judging the expressions from her roommates' faces.

"So they are two different people for sure," Hotaru murmured. "And Mr. Akurei has regjoined the cause. How did this go undetected for so long? Kyoaku's been collecting energy for a while now, right? Why haven't we noticed before now?"

"He's never been a threat until now," Michiru answered logically. "He's been collecting little-by-little, minding his time, but stealing energy from a senshi can't keep you under the radar."

"Hime-chan," Setsuna began, feeling she owed the girl an explanation. "They went after you for one single purpose, you are the Senshi of Death and Rebirth which is clearly their intention at the moment. You arent' the only one they are going to be after – they'll be after me next without a doubt because I'm the Senshi of Time and Revolution, essentially making me the missing half of what Sailor X was, but they aren't going to take their time and be as careful anymore."

"We also can't expect them to be completely reckless," Haruka added, all eyes landing on her. "There is a possibility we could slip up as well – whenever Sailor X is directly involved, one of us seems to get a bit reckless herself."

"Haruka," Michiru began, but Setsuna was already on her feet, fists clenched at her sides.

"What if the tables were turned?" Setsuna demanded. "What if it was Michiru's memory they were tarnishing? Would we be 'reckless' then, Haruka?"

Before Haruka could response to that question, Hotaru was sitting up once again, propped up by Michiru. She clenched the blanket close to her chest. "Stop fighting – that's what they want!" she said weakly. "Haruka-papa, Setsuna-mama, we are all senshi, we work together."

"Instead of bickering at each other, we need to come to an agreement and decide what we are going to do about all this," michiru added. "We don't know where they are established, we only know they are going to attack and it's bound to be sometime soon. Based on that information, do you believe we need the help of the others?"

"Strength in numbers," Hotaru replied.

"Haruka can informed the girls," Setsuna stated. "But we shouldn't alarm them unless it's completely necessary, we don't know for sure what's going to happen yet. Anyway, I need to return to my post. Michiru, you stay here with HOtaru," she added, standing in front of Haruka who was blocking the door. Cold, hard eyes met momentarily before Haruka stepped to the side, allowing her to pass.

_**To Be Continued**_


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,320

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Seven**

The time guardian was holding onto her staff tightly, it took every nerve in her body to stop from ramming it against the Gates themselves. Needless to say, Pluto was more than a bit frustrated. Giving the opportunity to escape the household for a short while, she took it and the Gates was her intended escape area by default, per usual. "Damnit!" she shouted loudly – one thing she enjoyed about her position, no one was around to hear her obscenities. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" she struck the ground hard with the end of her staff, the ringing echoed off into the nothingness of the Gates. The echoes were followed by, of course, silence; silence she could not stand, she had to get away from the Gates – the Chamber, she wanted to be at the Chamber.

**XXX**

Yoko knelt down in front of the altar and picked up a shard of glass, a smirk playing on his thin lips. "Where's the princess now?" he asked, amused, looking over his shoulder towards his younger brother, Kyoaku.

"Resting," he answered, jerking his head towards the door to the left. "Once we collect – " he paused as the main entrance was pushed open. He's smirk matched that of his brothers. This was all too easy and after the hardships they had been through, it was about time things started to go their way. "Speak of the devil," he chuckled.

Instantly, garnet eyes widened and her mouth hung open. "T-T-T…" Pluto could barely speak, she couldn't find her voice. The coffin had been destroyed, what had they done? Where was the body? Pluto dragged herself further into the room. "What have you done?" she demanded, vocalizing her anger, her shock. "What have you – Pluto Deadly Scream," she hissed, blasting energy from the top of her staff towards the two men who quickly disappeared from her view.

She lowered her time staff, she could feel her entire body beginning to shake. However, feeling a cold chill running down her back, Pluto immediately turned around to have a freezing hand clasp around her neck – her staff, at once, fell to the ground. In return, Pluto grasped the woman's wrist and when her eyes came back into focus to glare daggers at her attacker, her heat skipped a beat. "Tanaka…" she murmured, her eyes growing soft. "Tanaka, it's me, it's Setsuna, Pluto, honey…" But the grasp around Pluto's neck only tightened. She gasped as her forehead smeared with pain "Tanaka-"

"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai zen – akuryo taison!"

The hand around Pluto's neck finally weakened as the ofuda scroll struck and stuck onto Tanaka's cloaked back. Bracing herself, Pluto supported her former partner's body weight as the younger woman collapsed into her arms. Pluto looked up to see Sailor Mars accompanied by Sailor Uranus – not someone she had wanted to see at this very moment. "You were right, Uranus, I'm reckless, are you happy now?" she murmured, unable to meet her teammate's eyes.

"As long as you're okay, Setsuna," Uranus answered, one that surprised Pluto slightly. Doubtful at first, Uranus took Tanaka's limp body into her arms.

"The scroll won't last long," Mars spoke up, informing.

"It won't have to," Pluto replied, standing up straight. She took a step to Uranus' side and couldn't help but smile faintly at the peaceful Tanaka. "When she took some of my energy, she created a link between our minds. I… forced some of the memories we shared into view – the good ones, mind you, tried to remind her. When she wakes, we'll see how it goes. Let me talk to her, I can talk some sense into her."

"Setsuna, she just tried to attack you," Uranus pointed out.

"It's faint, but I can pick up a bad vibe from her," Mars added.

Pluto shook her head. "Tanaka died under the impression that the Moon Kingdom was against her," she replied, caressing the younger woman's cheek with the back of her hand gently. "And who knows what those two men have influenced her to do. I know she's not a bad person, just was just mislead. With our help, I know we can shape her to be the senshi she once was."

"Pluto's there's also a chance she may not want to be a senshi, you have to take that into consideration – " Mars stopped speaking when Pluto began to shake her head once again at them.

"As Uranus said when it comes to Tanaka, I'm pretty reckless apparently – as reckless as our Princess becomes when she believes in something," Pluto answered. "I am the only thing Tanaka has that's as good as family. Excuse me when I say I'm not going to give up on her easily."

_As good as family._ The statement bothered Uranus. "Then where do we keep her?" the senshi of wind asked, shifting the dead weight in her arms.

The Gates were out of the question, that's where all the problems began. Without a doubt, they couldn't take her back to the outer senshi household either for the sake of Hotaru, Michiru and Haruka. If she stayed here, those two men would definitely come back for her. With a faint frown, Pluto looked up towards Mars. "Rei-chan…" she began. "Your temple is the safest at the moment and if I do need another scroll…" There was a chance and Pluto wasn't naïve enough to simply ignore it. They had to tackle this issue from all sides.

"You don't have to explain, I'll be happy to help," Mars answered.

**XXX**

"Setsuna, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Rei stated before sliding the door to the guest room close.

A faint smile playing her lips, the time guardian knelt down on the mat next to Tanaka's cot that had been set up in one of the temple's vacant rooms. She doubted she would call Rei for anything; she wanted to handle this without being a bother. Leaning over the younger woman, Setsuna brushed the bangs away from those closed eyes which slowly flickered open. The effects of the scroll were wearing off. Blankly, red eyes stared up at the ceiling as the woman stayed silent. It was just like here – always quite.

"Tanaka," Setsuna said softly as the woman struggled to sit up. At once, Setsuna stood upon her knees and placed her arm against Tanaka's back, offering her some support just in case she was to fall back. "Be careful."

She watched as Tanaka reached and pulled the sticker off her lower back. "Akuryo taisan," Tanaka read, now frowning. "Is that what you think of me now, Puu? I'm an evil spirit that should be banished from this world?"

At once, Setsuna quickly shook her head. "It was a precaution, honey," she answered. One that she did not want to take, but they had to be realistic.

"Precaution?" Tanaka repeated, the frown still gracing her pale face. "You believed I could have been evil then?"

"I don't know what happened the last few hours of your life, Tanaka," Setsuna reasoned. "For all I know…" she trailed off. "Why did you do it, honey?"

**XXX**

_X rubbed her forehead, she was tired of all this. There was no possible way she could handle this duty any longer, she didn't feel she belonged here at this Gate. It was something she didn't want to admit to Pluto – Pluto would have been very disappointed in her, that much she knew. Her partner had been gone for a bit now, checking on her other position in the outer solar system if X had heard right. This was the perfect time to talk to Queen Serenity, but the Gates couldn't be left alone… Puu had said so herself. X bit down on her lip, it would only be a few minutes tops – the Queen would understand, wouldn't she?_

_"It will be fine," X reassured herself with a nod._

_**XXX**_

_"As much as I do enjoy keeping Pluto company, my Queen, I can't keep this position up."_

_"Sailor X," the Queen began, her voice strong and clear, yet calm and peaceful at the very same time, making her feel completely approachable. "I do not think I have to remind you that it is your duty to aid the protection of the Gates of Time, not keep Sailor Pluto company. There is not much I can – "_

_Upon hearing a loud crash outside the throne room, the Queen was immediately on her feet. Sailor X twirled around to face the door, grasping her scythe tightly, ready to protect her Queen. A second later, the doors threw themselves open, revealing a cloaked man. He pointed towards the Queen. "Sleep," he commanded. It was an odd statement, but at once, Queen Serenity had quickly fell limp onto her throne._

_"Queen Serenity!" X cried, making a dash for the blonde haired woman__, but had been cut off by the cloaked intruder. His hand clasped over her mouth, she dropped her scythe upon losing consciousness._

**XXX**

"The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the arms of Kyoaku – that's what he called himself," Tanaka informed. "He and the other, Yoko, told me what I have done to the Moon Kingdom, what my last intenions were – my title of senshi should be stripped."

Setsuna sat on the cot, next to Tanaka, helping her to sit up. "Don't believe whatever Kyoaki and Yoko have told you, honey, they have their own secret agenda – there is a great possibility you didn't do a thing to the Kingdom, you were trying to protect the Queen."

"I failed to protect the Queen!" she shouted, wincing right after.

"Shh," Setsuna soothed, rubbing her back. "You did your best, Tanaka, that is what matters, that is what the Queen expects. Don't beat yourself up." When Tanaka didn't say thing in return, Setsuna sighed heavily. "Listen, I'm going to find out what happened that day because I refuse to believe everyone can chalk this up to insanity – if that were the case, I would have gone to the looney bin centuries ago."

"I can hear the disappointment in your voice, Puu," Tanaka murmured.

"What?" Setsuna asked, perplexed. "Disappointment? Honey, actually seeing you again for the first time in half a century or however long it has been – I'm delighted, far from disappointed…"

Tanaka shook her head, keeping her gaze down upon the thin blanket wrapped around her legs. "Puu, you're disappointed I don't want to go back to the Gates."

It took Setsuna a second to answer. "A little yes," she finally said. There was no point in lying. She had missed having Sailor X by her side, but she knew it wasn't Tanaka's place; she wouldn't force her back into it. "But, Tanaka, I don't want you to go back If you're not up to it. You have a choice this time around." All of a sudden, Setsuna felt sick. What if this wasn't a permanent fix? They had no idea what Kyoaku and Yoko could have done. What if Tanaka was only back for a fixed amount of time? She didn't want to experience having Tanaka torn away from her a second time. She wouldn't allow that to happen, she concluded, not if she could help it. Setsuna was going to protect her this time.

The younger woman must have been thinking along the same lines. "If it permits, when I recover and think I am ready, I'll return to my post. I know what to expect now, I can prepare myself this time. This is the duty the Queen has given me, this is what she expects of me – I can't let Queen Serenity down."

"I won't force you into it," Setsuna repeated for emphasis. "I've watched the Gates alone for centuries and you deserve the normal life you've always wanted."

To Setsuna's surprise, Tanaka shook her head. "Kyoaku and Yoko, they told me I craved to understand the experience of death because I was destined to be brought back. Now that that has been accomplished, I can bring forth my revolution."

The sick sense SEtsuna had before was nothing to what she was having now. Not to mention, her mouth had turned unbearably dry, was Tanaka going to fulfill Hotaru's visions after all? "Revolution?" was the only thing the time guardian could give voice to.

"Yes," Tanaka noded, leaning against Setsuna. She felt so weak, so tired. "They were very vague, but they told me I was going to change the world and I am. I've concluded that I am destined to not only protect the Gates, but I'm going to be a full fledged sailor senshi fighting along side everyone else. I am going to represent Sailor X, the senshi, not just Sailor X the time guardian."

A wave of relief washed over Setsuna and she wrapped her arms around Tanaka. This was the young princess she had met years ago, this was the small child she had rescued from Kyoaku's and Yoko's clutches back on the ruined planet. She hugged the woman tightly. "I'm sorry, the last thing I ever said to you…" Setsuna trailed off. "I scolded you, I'm so sorry…"

"A scolding I rightfully deserved," Tanaka replied. "I attacked my mentor when she had her back turned. Being your student, I never should have done that. As your partner, I can rightfully say that your Deadly Scream attack stings wickedly." Smiling faintly, a distorted laugh escaped Setsuna as she hugged Tanaka even tighter. She had missed this.

_**To Be Continued**_


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,060

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Eight**

"How?" Kyoaku murmured to himself as he paced around the partly intact throne room in the ruined city. His arms folded over his chest, he shook his head. "No one's been able to throw off my control, not even Queen Serenity."

"I may have two theories," Yoko said from the doorway. He pushed himself up from his leaning position and strode across the room to sit on the throne. "Number one, Princess Tanaka is of the royal bloodline, thus making it possible to be immune by your powers. Or, number two, you gave her your energy for her resurrection thus making it certain she would be immune to you and if that's the case, that makes you a complete idiot, Kyoaku. Now tell me which, little brother, and may I remind you there is no use lying to me."

"Couldn't it also be since our family had been serving the royal family for generations? They have grown immune –" Kyoaku began, standing rigid.

Yoko rubbed the bridge of his nose with his pointer finger and thumb, annoyed. "Kyoaku, you stupid idiot!" he snapped. "By lending the Princess your energy, you've destroyed the small chance of having the revolution – why have you interrupted my peaceful life on earth?"

"You may believe the revolution is over, big brother, but it has just begun," Kyoaku replied calmly. "I have not worked this hard for this long to be empted handed. Our standing army-"

"Standing army?" Yoko scoffed. "You mean the army that killed itself off a century ago?"

"The very one," Kyoaku nodded. "Not only have I been collecting energy for the Princess, but for our old army, Yoko, those loyal to us and the revolution!"

Yoko, in return, smirked.

**XXX**

_"Queen Serenity!" Sailor X cried out, momentarily forgetting about the cloaked man, her Queen's well being was far more important. X made it half way to the fallen Queen before the cloaked figure stopped her in her tracks. His gloved hand grasped her mouth. "Sleep," the man stated clearly._

_Almost at once, X's eyes drooped close and her scythe fell to the ground. She fell forward, but the man caught her and gently laid her down on the floor. Pulling back his hood, Kyoaku knelt down next to Queen Serenity. "She was mad, a mental case," he whispered into the Queen's ear. "Sailor X came in here, trying to attack you – she attempted her forbidden attack and before it could truly take effect, you had no choice but to stop her."_

_Kyoaku returned to Sailor X after explaining the situation to the Queen. This time, he knelt down next to her. With his gloved finger tips, he separated X's soft lips before pouring a small vile of clear liquid down her throat. "Forgive me, my Princess, but it is your destiny to defeat death, but you will return to us, you shall salvage your people," Kyoaku whispered, pocketing the vile. "You have attacked the Queen," he spoke into her ear. "You destroyed the Moon Kingdom, you had enough of their ways and wanted your freedom."_

_Stroking X's cheek gently, he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I shall return to you, Princess Tanaka, when your battle has won."_

**XXX**

Tanaka never attacked the Moon Kingdom. This information took a bit to settle in. Pluto, eyes on the ground of her post, was in disbelief – she never attempted to look into the attack because she didn't want to see what Tanaka had truly done, but in reality, she didn't do anything harmful, she had been trying to protect the Queen. It was Kyoaku; Kyoaku had it all figured out, he purposely murdered Tanaka dn forced memories into the Queen's mind. They had caused all this confusion. They weren't going to get away with it, Pluto thought, gripping her staff tightly. She was going to make sure of it.

**XXX**

_The fog that had rolled in made it even more difficult to see in the poorly lit area and Sailor X was having a hard time trying to focus her eyes – she had to focus. He was going to strike again; she wasn't going to allow him to win. She couldn't allow him to win, it wasn't her time to pass on. Damnit, her eyes weren't doing her any good. Instead of using all her might to see through the thick fog, she concentrated on listening. Grasping her scythe tightly, balanced in both hands, she closed her eyes, now afraid to make the slightest of all moves. Any form of movement would interfere with her listening, giving him the chance to catch her off guard. It wasn't going to happen._

_There._

_She felt a chill go up her spine, Sailor X immediately turned on her heel, but before she could strike, the dark cloaked figure had her pinned to the ground by the staff of her scythe. "Do you really think you could defeat Death, Tanaka, when none of your people before you have?"_

_X knew nothing of her people – the people of her home planet. Struggling to keep her staff from straggling herself, she grunted, trying to free herself. She didn't know what her people were like or if they were even worth the effort. The only thing she did know was she had to defeat him, it was her destiny, it was the only way to get back to Pluto. She still had so much to learn from her mentor._

_"It's been nearly fifty years, Tanaka – day in, day out you have battled. Haven't you grown tired? Don't you care to rest? I can give you that."_

_"No," X murmured, lifting the scythe barley off her chest. "I won't give up. I won't give up!" The b right symbol of X appeared on her forehead, dimly glowing a faint purple color which allowed her to find the strength to kick him off her. Quickly, Sailor X was back on her feet and she swung her scythe into the air, opening a slice of light in front of her. Before he could get back up, she darted for the light._

**XXX**

Gasping loudly, Tanaka sat up on the cot, holding the blanket close to her chest as she attempted to catch her breath. She had broken out in a cold sweat and was now shivering. Rubbing her forehead, she laid back down, her red eyes stared up at the ceiling. What had that been about? She tried to dismiss it as just a dream, but it definitely felt like a lot more. She couldn't explain it, nor could she just lay here like this anymore. Carefully, Tanaka stood up, regaining her sense of balance. Apparently, she hadn't done this in a while, but it felt just like yesterday. Tanaka lifted her hand into the air, out stretched, ready to grasp her henshin pen. "X Crystal Power!" she stated clearly.

Nothing.

Tanaka lowered her hand, frowning up at the ceiling, half expecting the damn pen to fall out of thin air. "I am Princess Tanaka, guardian of the planet X, X is my protect, I. Am. Sailor. X."

"X CRYSTAL POWER!" she shouted, raising her hand once more. Feeling the familiar sense of warmth on her finger tips, Tanaka smirked. "MAKE UP!" And that sense of warmth immediately spread throughout her whole body. Now standing in her fuku, X grabbed the scythe that had appeared in front of her.

**XXX**

_"I will never give up on our Princess!" Kyoaku shouted back at Yoko. "And neither should you, brother."_

_"Kyoaku, the Princess is dead."_

_"And she shall rise from the dead, it is her destiny," Kyoaku replied calmly. "Or do you not remember the tales mother use to tell us?"_

_"That's exactly what it is – a tale, don't make any more of it."_

_"Yoko, the Forgotten Senshi has to fall herself before she can lead a true revolution, once she has defeated death itself, she will be able to restore all that has gone wrong on our home planet – when we set out on this mission, this was our intention –"_

_"It was your intention!" Yoko stepped back. "I merely wanted that royal bloodline dead, the mission is over."_

_"I won't give up on the Princess," Kyoaku repeated._

**XXX**

"He's right – it's a tale, I don't have that sort of power."

Pluto, who had been staring off into space during the vision, was startled and, simply out of reaction, she swung around, striking with her time staff which collided with the scratched up scythe. "Tanaka? What are you doing here?" she asked, their weapons still met.

X smiled slightly, pulling back her scythe and examined the many scratches which hadn't been there the last time she transformed. "I had a… dream," she finished lamely. "I was fighting the grim reaper," she added. It wasn't truly a dream – that's where all these scratches came from, fifty years worth of battling. "Have you been watching visions of these two recently? Kyoaku and Yoko?"

"Yes," Pluto nodded. "I wanted to find out more about them, their intention – the Gates can be quiet useful if you know how to use it, how to contain it," she explained, glancing over at X who was staring at the Gate.

"Of course," X spoke up. "You do have centuries over me – this place is overwhelming, so many horrible memories, I was unable to control it."

"What had you been seeing?" Pluto asked, a question she had wanted answered many years ago since she believed the Gates had lead her to insanity when in reality, they had just bothered her.

The smile of X's face was replaced with a frown. "My family," she replied.

"I thought you didn't – "

"I never did," X replied. "Remember, I can't block out the visions like you can."

"Can you show me? What you saw?" Pluto asked, was this vision that started it all? X nodded.

**XXX**

_This had been the Queen's favorite part of the estate, the flower gardens and she hadn't been the only being to have this opinion either. Tying her long raven hair back into a quick ponytail, she knetl down among the different types along with the crawling toddler who would be due to another bath once their afternoon was over, but the Queen didn't mind._

_"You like them too, Tanaka?" she smiled, taking the baby into her arms. "Aren't they peaceful?" The Queen placed a small kiss on Tanaka's forehead. "We should get your father out here, yeah? He's been so stressed lately." While her mother talked, Tanaka reached for one of the brightly colored flowers._

_"Who's been stressed lately?"_

_Smiling at the new voice, the Queen looked up towards her king. "Definitely not you, my Lord," she grinned as he knelt down next to her. He carefully took Tanaka into his arms._

_"My little Princess," he grinned, picking the flower she had been reaching for. He twirled the pedals in front of her, she giggled. The King chuckled at her euthimism. "They are upset at me, Tanaka, our people…"_

_"Sanity may be madness," the Queen began, placing a gentle hand on her King's shoulder. "But the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be," she told them. "We are doing our best to defend against the negative forces, my King, they must understand that. We are fighting for a peaceful life for all."_

_"That may be the case, but they are growing reckless – don't eat that, Princess," the King added, puling back on the flower he had earlier given Tanaka. "I may have to call for aid."_

_"The Moon Kingdom?"_

_He nodded. "With the help of the senshi, we should have everything under control – if they accept."_

**XXX**

"I don't remember being summoned," Pluto murmured. Of course, being the time guardian, she probably never was; she wasn't suppose to leave her post.

"That was the night of the banquet dinner," X explained. "The night Kyoaku and Yoko attacked."

_**To Be Continued**_


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,290

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Nine**

A deafening silence fell upon them; with a frown, Pluto kept her gaze locked with X's cold eyes. Even now, during a time of dealing with her own emotions – with the family she never had the chance of properly knowing, those eyes remained just as cold. "Amazing isn't it, a vision of so little importance can cause this much trouble," X murmured, looking away.

"It's not," Pluto replied, causing X to look back over. "It has more importance than what you are letting on, it's a small window to where you came from-"

"And it has made me weak," X interrupted. "Had I not allowed it to bother me, I would have never went to Queen Serenity and I would have never harmed the Moon Kingdom."

"That was Kyoaku and Yoko-"

"It might as well have been me!" X snapped, slamming the end of the scythe against the ground.

"Please calm down, Tanaka!" Pluto replied. At once, the younger woman fell silent. "You had nothing to do with Yoko and Kyoaku. It could have been any other senshi that day."

"But it wasn't – it was me, they're from my own planet," X replied. "They knew this was going to happen, they planned it out. This was their purpose and I don't understand!" she shouted, slumping down on her knees, her scythe on the ground in front of her. "I'm supposed to be dead, was this just a hunch they had? I don't… I don't understand."

"Tanaka," Pluto said gently, knelling down in front of her former partner, mindful of the scythe. She was grateful to have her back, but she didn't want to see her this way. "From what I've seen, they… they went off a legend. Honey, don't let it get to your head we can work this out."

"Don't let it get to me, Puu?" X repeated, holding up the scythe. "When I transformed for the first time in apparently fifty years, my scythe, my weapon, is damaged considerably; it's covered in scratches. I've… I've been battling the last half of a century – I don't understand why. Or who."

Placing her hand on X's, Pluto lowered the scythe. "We all have our questions and we will get our answers – come on, I want you out of here, I'll take you back to Rei's, alright?" she said, pulling the younger woman up onto her feet.

**XXX**

"Shouldn't be long now, brother."

"I'm impressed, Kyoaku," Yoko answered. "Coming up with a back up plan and everything, but how do you expect to bring peace back to the planet?"

Kyoaku frowned. "Definitely would have been easier with the Princess, I'll give you that," he replied. "But we have a standing army, we have more than enough hands to restore our home – we just need a bit more energy from the people of earth."

"We'll launch a full blown attack," Yoko said simply from his usual seat upon the thrown, remembering every single time, every single moment he had knelt in front of it to the royal family – to that damned King. "We can collect more than enough if we attack at full force. There are only ten senshi – eleven if you count the Princess, but she has had enough time to reach her full power, she's weak. Ten against an army, they'll fall quick enough. The odds are against them."

"The army's ready when we are, Yoko," Kyoaku replied, already heading to the entrance, knowing his brother's answer. They had to prepare for the attack.

**XXX**

Setsuna had been well aware of the thousands upon thousands of questions swimming through her mind, but she had now realized of the millions of questions Tanaka must have had. Instead of returning to Rei's temple as previously stated, Setsuna took her back to the park they escaped to when X had a hard time with the Gates – same bench to be exact. No words had been uttered since departing the Gate. Honestly, Setsuna was sure Tanaka might have been a bit surprised if she found out that they left the responsibilities of the Gates to a little gray kitten. Things had definitely changed since Tanaka's time.

Shoulder slumping forward, Tanaka leaned back against the bench and tilted her head up towards the afternoon sky. Had it really been fifty years? Did she really not attack the Moon Kingdom? Kyoaku and Yoko had thoroughly planned this whole thing out, hadn't they? She was suppose to lead this revolution against the Moon Kingdom for them – did they really believe she would willingly do that for those two? Tanaka had a duty to the Queen, a duty as a senshi to protect the earth. She was going to fight them along with the other senshi, none of whom she had properly met, but that wouldn't be a problem. They had the same mission after all.

The awkward silence was deafening and Tanaka was off in her own world apparently. Setsuna was watching her closely, looking for any sudden change in demeanor or facial expression, trying to pick up on the woman's train of thought. All she got was the usual cold emotionless stare, nothing's changed. With a grim smile, Setsuna placed her hand on Tanaka's knee, bringing her back into reality. Tanaka met Setsuna's eye and smiled grimly in return. "Everything's settled in. I've really been dead for half a century. Kyoaku murdered me… because I had to overcome death. My scythe… it's damaged because… I've literally been fighting death for half a century – the grim reaper," she said quietly.

"It's definitely a theory," Setsuna replied, reaching up to tuck a stand of raven colored hair behind Tanaka's ear. Obviously, yoko and Kyoaku's plan has been set back. Kyoaku's power doesn't have any effect on you and they had been counting on that – without you, they are going to have to come up with another way to lead that revolution of theirs," she explained. "but I wouldn't label their plan as foiled."

Nodding, Tanaka agreed. "They've put way too much time and effort into all this, they must have some sort of back up plan," she imputed. "Those two alone…" Tanaka trialed off before pausing. "They aren't working alone, Puu. There must be more – there are more people working for them, from X maybe?"

At once, Setsuna shook her head. "That planet has been reduced to nothing –"

"And I was suppose to have been the only survivor," Tanaka interrupted. "Kyoaku and Yoko-"

"Planned the destruction of that planet," Setsuna cutted in. "I don't think they would have offed themselves," she added.

Silence fell upon them once again. Tanaka looked away from Setsuna, towards the monkey bars, remembering the little boy she had watched all those years ago. He surely wasn't little anymore – probably a grandfather or what have you. "What if…" Tanaka began. "I'm not the only one they can bring back from the grave – what if there are more people from my planet that can come back? Do we add that to our never ending list of theories, Puu?"

"Yes," Setsuna answered. "We can… but, honey, I don't want – Tanaka, don't be too hopeful, alright?" she said gently. Tanaka turned to face her former partner. "If you truly believe that, do you believe your family –"

"No," Tanaka immediately responed. "They think harshly of the royal family, there is no chance in hell, Puu. I have no family. I accepted that long ago. They'd bring back people who had the same views of them – people who wanted the royal family dead also and who knows how high that number is. We need to alter the other senshi as soon as possible. Who knows when they'll be ready to attack."

"My thoughts exactly."

**XXX**

Haruka and Setsuna, standing on the front porch of the outer senshi household, were staring each other down. They had agreed Tanaka would stay at the temple until they figured out the situation and they had. Tanaka was clearly on their side, she wanted to help, but Haruka was still skeptical all the same. With a heavy sigh, Michiru placed a hand on her lover's shoulder. "We are all sailor senshi wanting to protect the princess," she pointed out gently, but Haruka shook her head in response.

"It is one thing to live up to our duties, Michiru, and it is clearly another ot be the reason behind an attack on the Queen," Haruka replied, glancing over Setsuna's shoulder towards Tanaka.

Immediately, Tanaka frowned, eyebrow furrowing. "I did not ask for that," she stated firmly, stepping around Setsuna who had grabbed her wrist in an attempt to stop her from doing anything she would regret later; Tanaka only pulled her wrist away. "That was out of my control and I did try to protect the Queen – I gave the ultimate sacrifice, Sailor Uranus. I died for our Queen and you disrespect me as an enemy instead of allowing me to stand by your side as a comrade." From the corner of her eye, she saw Setsuna tense. Haruka and Michiru had similar reactions, they hadn't expected a remark like that.

Hotaru peeked out the open front door, disregarding her Haruka-papa's command to stay instead, catching the end of Tanaka's remark. "I was the mistress of destruction," she said in a small voice that surprised everyone. "I attacked the Princess and the senshi and no one's scared of me. She was protecting the Queen and died – everyone should be scared of me instead," she reasoned.

This was ridiculous, Tanaka and, surely, the others didn't want the child in on this. "Setsuna, I'm sorry," Tanaka said, glancing over her shoulder. "But if I'm going to be a problem, I see no trouble in returning to the Gates."

"Well I definitely do," Setsuna remarked. "You're no more dangerous than Haruka and shouldn't be treated as such." Once again, she met her roommate's eyes. Haruka turned around and headed inside with a muffled 'fine.' Slightly embarrassed by her lover's actions, Michiru bowed down to both Tanaka and Setsuna.

"She can be stubborn, I'm sorry," Michiru said, looking up. "Make yourself welcome, I'll prepare the spare bedroom-"

"That won't be necessary," Setsuna replied as they all stepped inside. "My room is big enough, don't strain yourself, Michiru," she smiled slightly.

"Then I will get dinner started," Michiru stated, giving them a nod before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving the two time guardians alone with Hotaru whose courage had vanished upon entering the house. Knowing what the reason could be, Tanaka knelt down to the child's height.

"Those visions you've been having, little one… of Sailor X destroying the world and harming you and your loved ones – that is not me," Tanaka reassured. "I'm Sailor X, protector of love and justice – like Sailor Pluto and you," she added, glancing back at Setsuna momentarily with a smile before giving Hotaru a small wink. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Hotaru was carefully thinking this over, remembering those dreams, remembering hiding out in her Setsuna-mama's bedroom because she had been so incredibly scared. "Okay," she mumbled, grabbing Tanaka's hand. "We have a Nintendo 64, want ot play with me?" Before Tanaka could properly answer, Hotaru was already dragging her away. The sight caused Setsuna to smile, with Hotaru's acceptance, Haruka's was going to be right around the corner. It was going to take a bit of time though, but Haruka would come around. Chuckling lightly to herself, Setsuna headed into the kitchen.

The sea-blue haired woman had begun to peel and chop different vegetables. Upon Setuna's entrance, Haruka, who was sitting at the counter, halted the current conversation, probably waiting for Tanaka to trial in after. Picking up a potato from the counter and shaking her head, Setsuna began to help Michiru with the peeling. "She's playing video games with Hotaru," Stsuna answered Haruka's obvious question. "We were wrong about her, about the attack – Tanaka tried to protect the Queen, not harm her, Haurka. She wants to help us with the enemy, she wants to put an end to all this."

Scooting back on the stool, Haruka stood up and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "The enemy that originated from her own planet-"

"Don't," Setsuna said sternly. "Don't even put those scumbags in the same league as Tanaka. Evil has originated from the earth and even from the Moon Kingdom itself – ouch!" The knife she had been using to pell clattered on the kitchen floor and the potato rolled away. At once, she brought her slender finger to her lips. "Just a cut," Setsuna said quickly as Michiur drew nearer. "She's a good person, Haruka."

"No doubt that she is," Haruka began, now fiddling through the cabinets for the first aid box. "But with those two men out there, how can we believe they won't use Sailor X to destroy us?"

Michiru walked towards Haruka to pull out the first aid box from the next cabinet over. "You haven't been listening," she scolded, placing the box on the countertop and opening it. "Kyoaku's mind power doesn't work on her because he used his energy to bring her back, making her immune," she quickly summed it up as Setsuna carefully cleaned out her cut.

"Think we should be more concerned of Kyoaku taking over one of us," Setsuna stated, wrapping her finger with a bandaid.

_**To Be Continued**_


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 2,220

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Ten**

Dinner had gone over well with the minimum of awkward silences. Afterwards, Hotaru and Haruka retreated to the living room for a couple rounds of Mario Kart while Michiru and, with much protest from Setsuna, Tanaka tackled the dirty dishes. With any excuse to play with water, Michiru always did the dishes; Tanaka merely wanted to help out, thank them for letting her stay which Michiru labeled as an outrageous idea – Tanaka was always welcomed despite Haruka's attitude. Concluding they would be alright together, SEtsuna joined Haruka and Hotaru in the living room, politely excusing the extra game controller.

They had a nice system going if Michiru said so herself – she cleansed and Tanaka dried. This task would soon be over and Setsuna had been right, of course, Tanaka really wasn't much of at alker. "You and Setsuna look very much alike, almost like siblings," she commented. "You two could be sisters."

"Though I'm thoroughly sure I was an only child," Tanaka grinned, staking the plates she had just dried. "I was told during my training that a good portion of my planet's people originated from Pluto and other parts of our solar system."

"And the royal family?" Michiru asked, handing over another wet plate. "Any Pluto blood?"

Nodding, Tanaka took the plate to be dried. "My mother's side of the family came from Pluto centuries ago. They had been part of the Pluto royal family, but they were reduced to commoners on X – it wasn't until my mother married my father that they regained their royal family status. We're many greats and many times removed cousins – Puu and I, I'm sure she's aware. We never talked about it." She placed the now dry plate on the stack.

"You two are pretty close."

"When you're stuck with only your mind for company, I believe you'll grow attached to whomever is assigned the role of your partner," Tanaka answered.

"You don't think it was your character or personality?"

"If you are destined to be stuck together for all eternity," Tanaka reworded, taking another plate to dry. "You want to get along with that person. Setsuna is my mentor, I still have much to learn from her."

Michiru gazed over her shoulder towards the woman next to her. Was she saying that she viewed Setsuna only as a teacher and not a friend? The sea goddess couldn't help but frown, Setsuna, she knew for definite, though more of Tanaka. Before she could voice any opinion, however, the plate Tanaka had been holding crashed onto the floor and the woman took a couple of steps back, holding her forehead. Tanaka slumped against the fridge, but before she could hit the ground, a pair of hands caught her.

Haruka knelt down, holding the woman gently. Michiru quickly wiped her hands dry in disbelief, and went to Haruka's side. A moment later, Setsuna had Hotaru appeared in the kitchen. "What happened?" Setsuna demanded, kneeling down on the floor, gazing up at Michiru.

"We were washing the dishes, everything was going well – she just fainted," Michiru answered.

"Setsuna," Haruka spoke up. "Help me get her to the couch. Hotaru, help your Michiru-mama."

**XXX**

_Slowly, her red eyes re-opened, but instead of finding herself back in the kitchen, assisting __Michiru__, Tanaka discovered herself to be in __a__ unfamiliar throne room. I __twas__ nothing compared to that of the Moon Kingdom – it appeared to be destroyed and someone had attempted to repair it. They hadn't done a decent job. Glancing down, her eyes widened; the clothes she had borrowed from __Rei__ were gone, replaced by an elegant black dress. What was going on here? Where the hell was she?_

_"Welcome home, Princess," __Kyoaku__ spoke up, immediately drawing her attention to the throne where the two men stood, side-by-side. "Thought Planet X has seen better days."_

_This was it? This was Planet X? Tanaka had made the right decision not to come here during her __senshi__ training, there was nothing to it. It didn't matter; she raised her hand into the air, causing Yoko to chuckle. "That won't __work,__ you are not here physically, Princess. We merely brought you here mentally – to give you a warning."_

_"A warning now?"__ Tanaka stated, taking a few steps forward. "Yoko, __Kyoaku__ – redeem __yourselves__. I am your Princess, stand down," she said firmly._

_Both men chuckled again. "Princess Tanaka," Yoko began, flipping back his long white hair. "We murdered our King and Queen for the sake of our people."_

_"You no longer serve a purpose to us, Princess," __Kyoaku__ added. "You, along with the people of wrath, shall fall to us."_

_"And earth," Yoko continued. __"Shall make a great home to the people who follow us."_

_Tanaka's eyebrows furrowed. "The people here have long ago died."_

_"And with our collective energy, they rise again," Yoko replied simply._

_"We give you a warning, Princess," __Kyoaku__ said. "Stand down, bow before us and your life shall be spared."_

_"Wasn't I part of this plan of yours, __Kyoaku__?" Tanaka asked in return "I do recall the mentioning of leading a revolution – or am I wrong?"_

_"__Kyoaku__ is not what one would call bright," Yoko replied, stepping down from the throne, coming within inches of Tanaka. "You were once part of the revolution, but we weren't expecting your free will and memories to return."_

_"Stand down, the both of you," she said firmly. "Respect me as your –"_

_"As stubborn as the King, you are, Princess," Yoko smirked, grabbing her around the beck. "The royal family has done this planet wrong so as long as royal blood runs within your body, you are nothing but scum to us, Princess. Do not get in our way!" With remarked ease, he lifted Tanaka off her feet and threw her back._

**XXX**

Setsuna placed the back of her hand against Tanaka's clammy forehead, trying to determine whether or not she was feverish. She felt a little warm if anything, nothing to be too concerned about. With a small sigh, Setsuna relaxed back down against the shaggy carpet; Tanaka had been out for over an hour now, but at least she was responsive – she was breathing and stirred every once in a while, Setsuna dubbed both of these as a good sign.

Once more, Tanaka stirred and her eyebrows furrowed, causing Setsuna to sit up again. When red eyes fluttered open, a wave of relief came over the time guardian. Tanaka sat up, rubbing her forehead. Setsuna was immediately behind her, helping her stay up. "I blacked out," Tanaka murmured the obvious. "Yoko and Kyoaku, they're going to attack earth – we have to stop them, Puu."

"Did you have a vision, Tanaka?" Setsuna questioned. Did she managed to tap into the Gates form here?

Was it a vision? "I don't know," Tanaka answered truthfully, leaning back against Setsuna. "Yoko said he transported my mind to the Planet X to give me a warning. I wouldn't call that a vision, but they have an army at their disposal and they are going to attack this planet – Puu, this is all my fault."

"No, Tanaka, it's not," Setsuna stated firmly. "Don't you dare believe that for a second, alright?"

"Uranus was right," Tanaka went on. "I endangered our Princess once and I'm going to be doing it again. I have to, I have to stop them!" she concluded, pulling the balnekts off, but Sesuna grabbed her by the shoulders. Tanaka wasn't going anywhere.

"We are sailor senshi, we protect the Princess and we don't work alone," Setsuna pointed out.

There was not much she could do now, so Tanaka relaxed once more against her partner. She would have to wait until everyone in the house was asleep and then she could sneak out – simple as that. "We have to warn the others then," Tanaka murmured. "They are going to attack the earth soon, we need to be ready to fight for the Princess." Setsuna nodded.

"But right now, we all need to rest."

**XXX**

It had honestly felt like an eternity had gone by, Setsuna had proven herself to be quiet the night owl, but when she finally drifted off to sleep after reading a couple of articles from her magazine, Tanaka was up and ready for action. Fearing she would be overhead, she quietly snuck out of the room and down the flight of stairs where she would be able to transform. However, upon reaching that last step, the lights had flipped on. Tanaka tensed and gazed up to find Haruka leaning against the wall a few feet in front of her.

"What are you doing up?" Haruka demanded, arms folded over her chest.

"The same can be asked of you," Tanaka replied.

"Still a teenager at heart, I see," Haruka remarked coldly, not at all looking forward to Hotaru's own if that were the case.

"Kyoaku and Yoko's army is currently weak-"

"And you plan to wtake out an entire army by yourself?" Haruka asked, trying to keep a straight face. The girl was determined, she'd give her that much. "One person against an army, you're odds aren't that great, kid."

"My odds are a lot better than you think-"

"What's going on down here?"

Both women looked up towards the top of the stairs to find a very tired Michiru draped in her dark blue night robe. Haruka knew her love was a very light sleeper and she could have attempted to be a little more quite. "Nothing," she answered. "Keeping our house guest form escaping is all – are Hotaru and Setsuna still asleep?"

Before Michiru could reply, their resident time guardian had appeared behind her. The hallway light had woken her, but discovering Tanaka was missing encouraged her to get out of bed entirely. "Hotaru's still asleep," Setsuna answered. "What's the meaning of all this? Tanaka, why are you out of bed?" Instead of answering, Tanaka cast her eyes to the carpet floor.

"She was getting ready to go up against an army," Haruka casually answered.

Shaking her head, fists formed at Tanaka's side. They weren't taking her seriously – the earth… She walked past Haruka a couple of feet; this was a joke to them, wasn't it? Turning around to face the other three, Tanaka raised her hand into the air. "X crystal power! Make-up!" As the three tried to draw nearer, Sailor X extended her scythe. "This is my battle – had it not been for my existence, none of this would be happening and the Princess would still be safe."

"Tanaka!" Setsuna shouted as the woman disappeared. The Gates. She was going to the Gates. "Pluto crystal power! Make-up!"

"Uranus crystal power! Make-up!"

"Neptune crystal power! Make-up!"

"Saturn crystal power! Make-up!"

Neptune and Pluto whirled around to find Sailor Saturn – apparently, Hotaur wasn't as fast asleep as they all had originally thought. Nonetheless, she was a senshi as well.

**XXX**

Reaching the Gates of Time, they discovered it to be empty, concluding Sailor X had continued forward to confront Kyoaku and Yoko. Fully aware X could take care of herself, Pluto was still worried. Kyoaku and Yoko were not a force to be taken lightly, not at all. What was she thinking? She wasn't thinking at all. X simply couldn't possibly do this alone, it was too dangerous – they were a team, she didn't have to do this alone.

**XXX**

"This is where it all started," X murmured to herself, grasping her scythe tightly as she stood in front the doors to the palace that had once served as the home she couldn't remember. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed. "This is where it ends." Whether it was for Kyoaku and Yoko or herself, this is where it was going to end. They weren't going to assent to earth without a fight. Determined, X pushed open the wide palace doors, but before she could enter, a hand grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around. X was then pushed up against the closed door which she believe was by an enemy hand. However, it had been Pluto – X would have rather had it been the enemy, she had never seen Pluto this upset.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pluto demanded, keeping her forearm against X's chest. "By yourself – you want to stop all this by yourself? I'm not going to lose you again, Tanaka!"

Frowning, X pushed Pluto off with the staff of her scythe. "I am the Princess of this planet and I must restore order to my kingdom-"

"Look around, 'Princess,'" Uranus mocked, extending her hand towards the ruins which once was the city. "Order was lost long before you stepped up."

"Haruka-papa, don't sound so harsh," Saturn said in a small voice.

"May we be one to correct?"

Shifting, all five senshi turned away from the palace doors to face Kyoaku and Yoko a few yards ahead of them. "This kingdom was stuck down by the Princess herself."

_**To Be Continued**_


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 3,000

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Notes: I wanted to incorporate the "Planet X" theory into the Sailor Moon universe.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

**Chapter Eleven**

Though never seen through her own two eyes, the Planet of X had been a thriving, lively city was home to many different people, but all that remained now of that once living city were the ruins it had been reduced to. Tall towers and buildings had been reduced by several stories and small structures did not have a standing chance. The people, those who believed in the royal family and those who didn't, had been destroyed in what everyone believed the civil war that brought the planet down to its knees; however, now new information concluded the reason to the people's downfall had been due to their own infant princess. Being provided by Kyoaku and Yoko, X shook her head. No way. There was no truth behind their bluff.

"It's alright to be in denial, Princess," Yoko stated. "We couldn't believe it either – our plans had been foiled by a toddler who had been unable to walk. What did Queen Serenity call it? A civil war?" he asked with a faint smirk, glancing over at Pluto. "Honestly, would a civil war destroy an entire planet as great as the this one? Did you think we were savage earth-beings?"

At once, Sailor Uranus stepped up, gripping the hilt of her space sword tightly. No one spoke ill of their Moon Kingdom's royal family. Neptune held her mirror close to her chest and Saturn shifted on her feet, balancing her scythe in her hands. One more word against their Queen and they would strike. Pluto, on the other hand drew back slightly and X tensed. Kyoaku remained silent by Yoko's side who was chuckling bitterly. "Your planet power sensed an evil when you were barely over a year of age, Princess," Yoko informed. "You sensed Kyoaku's and my plan to murder the royal family. To protect the vessel of Sailor X, the planet power unleashed a forbidden attack," he said, holding out his arms to present the fallen city. "That attack wiped out the planet – Princess Tanaka, you were the downfall to our very own planet!"

"No," Sailor X replied at once, shaking her head. She wasn't going to take Yoko's word for it. "It was a civil war. The people were either for the Kingdom of X or they were against it. Their battles crossed a line, turned into the war that destroyed the peace this planet once had!" she shouted, annoyed. She never would have done this to her own people.

Finally, Kyoaku met eyes with Pluto and smirked, "Why not ask your beloved mentor? She has been able to provide you with many answers in the past and being a time guardian, she knows exactly what happened on our doomsday."

X gazed over her shoulder before turning around completely to face Pluto who couldn't even look up at her. This alone made X begin to feel sick to her stomach. "Puu, what happened that day?" she demanded. Their guards had fallen, but they had Uranus, Neptune and Saturn to currently rely on. If Kyoaku and Yoko tried anything, they were immediately going ot be stopped.

"Does it matter what happened all those years ago?" Pluto asked, forcing herself to look up at those red eyes. "You still are who you are-"

"What have you and Queen Serenity been hiding from me?" X snapped, causing Saturn to jump slightly. Suddenly, the woman whom she had played video games with had disappeared, replaced by a distorted, confused, angry senshi. X had rammed Pluto against the door and held her in place with her scythe – a clear mistake. A moment later, the blade of the space sword was held against the skin of her neck.

"Uranus, don't," Pluto quickly replied. When the blade was removed from X's throat, Pluto easily freed herself form X's grasp. "This planet was on the brink of a full on war and the King was to seek help, but before he could, those two murdered your parents. They were after you next, Tanaka, forcing your planet power to awaken earlier because you were destined to be Sailor X. In order to protect you, the planet power rid of what would have been a bloody war. Kyoaku and Yoko told the truth, but, honey, you were protecting yourself," Pluto explained.

They had been telling the truth. X felt her mouth go dry. Her eyebrows narrowed mostly in confusion. "Queen Serenity and I discussed it thoroughly over and over," Pluto began again. "The Queen concluded you shouldn't know what happened unless it was necessary – I disagreed, this was part of your power and you should know, should understand," she quickly added. "Tanaka don't feel guilty-"

"Don't feel guilty?" X replied, shocked. "I'm a mass murderer, my people-!"

"Enough!" Kyoaku shouted over all the bickering. Both he and Yoko snapped their fingers, summing forth a wave of cloaked figures. "Family matters should have been dealt with many a time ago."

They were right, they didn't have time for this now, the cloaked figures dove towards them; ti was time to fight. "Don't be fooled, Tanaka," she heard Pluto say. "They're toying with your emotions, they know you're down, don't believe another word." However, had she been in X's shoes, she wouldn't have heeded the warning after discovering the truth.

"Shall we begin the fun?" Yoko asked before raising his voice. "Attack! No senshi shall remain alive!" The cloaked figures sprung into the air and dove directly towards the five senshi.

Saturn, bracing herself firmly against the ground, raised her scythe into the air. "Silent Wall!" she shouted, summoning a protective shield around her family. "We can't do this alone – we need Usagi-chan and the others," she stated, watching the figures bounce off the shield only to take another dive. Pluto nodded to both Uranus and Neptune, she still had a connection to the Small Lady through the Luna-P ball. The others would be here soon.

"Usagi," X said quietly to herself. "Princess Serenity," she corrected, eyebrows furrowing. No, she would not accept help from the royal family who lied to her. Everything she knew about her planet had been a lie and for what? Queen Serenity wanted to secure a tenth sailor senshi to her team, that's all she was, a senshi, a number. The grasp around her scythe tightened, she didn't need the damn Princess Serenity's help. She wasn't going to accept the help from Princess Serenity. No. This was her planet. Yoko and Kyoaku were the reasons behind its destruction, she reassured herself, and now they were disrespecting the memory of her people – her people, not Serenity's. She was going to get their revenge. Not Serenity and not her senshi. X took off at a run and dived out of the protective shield before slashing at the nearest cloaked being.

Neptune was the first to notice the disappearance. "Sailor X – she's escaped the shield!"

"Hotaru, drop it," Uranus demanded. "We fight."

Saturn wasn't one to disobey her parents, but if she dropped their defensive, nothing would be keeping them safe from the attack. They couldn't do this alone, but she nodded and lowered her scythe, dropping the shield along with it. At once, they were attacked. Wave after wave from her blade, Uranus began to slowly reduce their number with the aid of Neptune and her magic mirror; that's how they always worked – watching each others' back. Close to X's style of fighting, Saturn tried to fend herself with her own scythe. Pluto stayed on the defense, ducking out of thw ay of many blows as she chased after X who was still mindlessly hacking away.

"Tanaka!" Pluto shouted over the ridiculous amount of flapping cloaks, preventing X from hearing she was sure of. Keeping her eyes locked onto her partner's back, Pluto was accidentally sideswiped by one of the beings. Losing her balance, she stumbled down. When she brought herself back onto her feet, Pluto discovered X being held by a small group of figures, her scythe had been thrown on the ground with Kyaoku drawing near, dagger at hand. "No… Tanaka!"

"Kill the Princess," Kyoaku said coldly with a smirk, now face to face with X. "It was a task trusted to me many years ago and now… I can finally fulfill my duty," he chuckled, holding the dagger under her chin, Pluto wasn't going to make it in time; she wasn't going to be able to save Tanaka.

She wasn't going to allow Tanaka to die again. Quickly, Pluto raised her time staff into the air. "Forbidden Hades, Time Stop!" With that, everything froze in its place, except X who immediately whirled her head around until she found Pluto.

"Puu!" X shouted, wiggling her way from the figures' grip, mindful of the second blade held to her throat. "Why? It's forbidden – your life!"

"I'd rather it be my life instead of yours, Tanaka," Pluto replied calmly. "You need to defeat Kyoaku yourself, X – you're the only one who can overcome this power."

"Puu-"

"Do it. Now!" Pluto demanded. "My hold won't keep up for much longer!"

Frown playing on her lips and eyes narrowing, X nodded, turning back to Kyoaku. "Whatever you do, Puu, keep fighting. Don't give up," she informed, prying the dagger out of the man's hand. Before Kyoaku could realize what was going on, the blade of his own weapon had been stabbed into his chest. She couldn't hear over the ruffling of cloaks, but X could guarantee Yoko and the outer senshi were yelling, crying in disbelief for their fallen comrades. No time to think about that, she had to get to her scythe. Immediately, she dove over Kyoaku's fallen body and grasped the cold metal in her gloved hands.

Standing back upon her feet, X expected to see the three outer senshi, but, instead, she was faced with nine. Meeting bright blue eyes for a split second caused her heart to skip a beat. Princess Serenity. Suddenly, x was more determined than ever. Turning around, she raised her scythe, the blade began to glow. "Shizuka…" she whispered as the ground began to shake, not a good sign to the already poor buildings. "…na Shi," she finished. The cloaked figures all stood on end before dropping like flies. X struggled to keep standing and used her scythe to keep balance before collapsing entirely.

It was over. There was no chance now – Kyoaku was dead. His brother… Yoko turned, but was cornered by Mars and Venus with Sailor Moon directly behind him. "Do you care to finish me, Princess Serenity?" Yoko asked, gazing over his shoulder to look upon Sailor Moon. "Will parshing me bring justice to the death of your two sailor senshi?"

Sailor Moon held her specter to her chest. "No," she answered. "But it's our duty to punish evil doers-"

"Let me save you this one time, Princess Serenity, I am long overdue for my own final rest," Yoko interrupted. "I shall join my brother quietly," he stated, drawing his sword from his side. At once, Mars and Venus stepped forward, expecting a trap, but Yoko held the tip of the blade against his abdomen. Keeping true to his word, he exhaled deeply and cast one final glance at Kyoaku's body. "Perhaps we shall find peace in the afterlife, little brother," he hoped before plunging the sword upward into his body.

"Setsuna-mama!"

Mars, Venus, and Sailor Moon turned their attention to the other senshi and quickly joined the group. Uranus and Saturn had held up Pluto who was barely breathing, but now answering. According to Neptune and Mercuty, X was in the same condition.

**XXX**

_The fog made it impossible to see anything, Pluto wasn't sure where she was, but she heeded Tanaka's warning – keep fighting, don't give up. Hearing a ruffle of cloth, Pluto turned around just in time to block a swing of a scythe. "X?" she concluded, confused. Her confusion was met with a harsh chuckle. _

_"Death," the cold raspy voice corrected._

_Pluto knew that voice, not personally, but from the visions of the past she witnessed from the Gates of Time. It couldn't be. "You're… the late King of X," she said in disbelief, pushing the scythe away with her time staff._

_"Are you truly surprised, Pluto?" the voice echoed. "The many Kings have filled this position and shall until Sailor X is able to step into her destined position – she was never meant to be a time guardian."_

_"Which is why she felt out of place at the Gates," Pluto replied. "But why? She died years ago, why did she –"_

_"It wasn't her time," he answered. "But now… her time has arrived." He extended his arm, the fog cleared to show they were standing in an old graveyard – X standing only a couple of feet away. She heard everything._

_"Father…?" her voice trailed off._

_Nodding, the figure drew back his hood, revealing the man X had seen so many times in those damn visions – the high cheek bones, the short dark hair and teal eyes. "Tanaka, you look exactly like your mother," he said softly, grazing upon the dumbfound young woman before glancing up at Pluto. "It is not Pluto's time, Tanaka. You have to send her back."_

_"Puu," X took a step back, opening a slice of light in front of them with the blade of her scythe. "You used your forbidden attack, I used mine. I wasn't going to allow you to die."_

_"Tanaka, you were given a second chance-"_

_"Don't' worry about me, Puu- Setsuna…" X replied. "This is where I'm needed."_

_"Tanaka…" Pluto said softly with a faint frown.__ After everything, she was certain she had her old partner back only to have her taken away again. Pluto wrapped her arms around X and held her tightly. She didn't want to let go. "I'm… glad to have gotten to know you, definitely changed for the better."_

_"I had an excellent mentor to show me the way," X stated, looking up at Pluto. "Go – you have a whole team of senshi worrying about you," she said, giving Pluto a gentle nudge towards the light._

**XXX**

Slowly, garnet eyes fluttered open weakly to look up at Uranus along with the teary eyed Saturn, Chibi-Moon and Sailor Moon. "Setsuna," Uranus said gratefully, helping her friend sit up a little bit more. Immediately, Saturn and Chibi-Moon had engulfed her in hugs. Placing a kiss on each of their foreheads, Pluto looked up towards Neptune, Mercury and Mars who were all hovering over X's body, murmuring she wouldn't wake up. "Excuse me, little ones," she dismissed herself. Pluto, with Uranus' help, hoisted herself up by the time key and dragged herself over between Neptune and Mercury.

Upon her knees, Pluto took X's limp body onto her lap with a strong sense of déjà vu. She held her friend's hand within her own and placed a small kiss on her cheek. For a split second, Pluto swore she saw a faint smile on those lips. The body began to glow faintly in her arms before bursting into streams of golden bubbles which Pluto watched ascend upwards.

"Setsuna," Neptune said quietly.

"I'm okay," Pluto replied. "Tanaka's going to be okay."

**XXX**

Things were quiet again. This disturbance in the solar system had vanished and everything was finally at peace once more, a peace that never lasted long, but the senshi deserved even a short break after that small fiasco. It had been a few weeks and there hadn't been on night when Setsuna didn't dream of Tanaka, of Sailor X disappearing in her arms.

"Setsuna-mama?"

"Hmm?" the time guardian snapped back into reality at the sound of her daughter's voice. She had promised the young girl a day together at the park but all she had been doing was spacing off into her own thoughts. It really wasn't fair to Hotaru at all. "I'm sorry, hime-chan, did you say something?"

"I said we should go get some ice-cream," Hotaru repeated. "I'm bored of the park."

"Bored of the park?" Setsuna repeated, grinning. "You've exhausted the use of the playground, I see. Okay, there's a place nearby, right? The one Haruka takes us to?"

The child's eyes grew wide at the idea. Nodding furiously, she grabbed Setsuna's hand and pulled the woman onto her feet from her sitting position on the wooden bench. "Yeah! That place is amazing! Come on, Setsuna-mama, let's go!"

Setsuna chuckled as she stood up. "Hotaru, slow down, the ice-cream won't just disappear, I promise," she reassured, glancing back to the bench to make sure they didn't leave anything behind before returning her attention to Hotaru. When her eyes glanced over the swing sets, she caught a glimpse of a slender woman with long dark hair pushing herself. Immediately, Setsuna jerked her head back to investigate even further, but the swings were empty.

"Is something wrong?" Hotaru asked, following Setsuna's gaze.

"No," Setsuna shook her head. "Come on, hime-chan. Let's go."

_**End**_

**Author's Note:**_Thank you for reading 'Forgotten' and be sure to keep an eye open for its sequel, 'Wandering Spirits.' Everything known about the Planet of X has been twisted and the reality of the Kingdom's existence comes into the light for the first time in centuries, revealing that nothing was what it seemed – and discover the reason why Haruka holds a grudge against the last Princess of the mysterious kingdom. The truth Tanaka had long ago learned was nothing but lies and now she must return order to her fallen kingdom to save the people who had once pledged their allegiance to the Moon Kingdom._


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